Mr FORREST —My question is addressed to the Minister for Trade. In view of the minister's forthcoming visit to Singapore and Japan, could you inform the House of developments in our export markets and opportunities for pork in those important markets?

Mr VAILE (Trade) —I thank the honourable member for his question. Obviously, as a member who represents an area that exports a lot of agricultural commodities, he is interested in the discussions that will take place in Singapore on Friday between CER and AFTA, as we export some $10.4 billion worth of exports to the ASEAN countries. Of course Japan is Australia's largest trading partner, at around 20 per cent of our exports, but I might just focus on a particular area of export in answering this question. That is the excellent performance of Australia's pork industry, and we will be making an announcement at the launch and promotion of Australian chilled pork in Singapore on Friday, organised by the Confederation of Australian Pork Exporters. It is interesting to note that Australian exports of pork have more than doubled—from 6,674 tonnes, worth $33 million in 1996-97, to over 16,350 tonnes, worth $70 million last year.

Japan has accounted for most of this growth, with exports rising from 747 tonnes to 4,429 tonnes. Exports to Singapore have absolutely boomed. In January exports to Singapore stood at $8,000 a month; in July they amounted to $6.4 million worth. The market for air freight fresh chilled pork from Australia to Singapore now accounts for approximately 6,000 pigs a week.

Members will recall last year the difficult circumstances that were being confronted by Australia's pork industry. The government made a decision to assist the producers in that industry and it is paying dividends in spades. It was interesting that in last week's Queensland Country Life the editorial, `Pork industry kicking goals', read:

A remarkable transformation is taking place in Australia's pork industry. Only a year ago the industry was in crisis. Knives were out for the then Agriculture Minister, John Anderson, who was being accused of destroying the domestic industry by allowing imported pork to compete on the domestic market. Today, prices are at a three-year high and climbing, export markets have been established and the industry is entering a growth phase firmly aimed at supplying the massive and nearby Asian market.

Australia's export pork industry is one of Australia's great export stories of the last six to 12 months—with the assistance and guidance of our government and the policy that we have pursued in this area—and I am going to reinforce that in Singapore and Japan at the end of this week.