Ostrich farmer pleased at help

By LIAM DANN

Susan Binks, general manager of Kadesh Ostrich Farms, has given the new Market Development Assistance scheme a tentative thumbs-up.

Kadesh ventured into the export market last year.

The company expects to send several tonnes of meat to Japan and Korea this year.

So far Binks has been organising her own promotions and media events in those countries.

She is looking forward to any help she can get from the new Government scheme.

Helping small businesses to set up some global marketing was a brilliant idea, she said.

"That's got to be good for this country because we are so dependent on exports."

In the past small and medium-size exporters were often ignored, she said.

But Binks said that she would wait to see the fine print in October before she started celebrating.

It didn't look like a huge amount of money.

"How much of this is going to be used to set up the infrastructure of the scheme?" she asked.

"That can minimise how much actually goes back to the businesses."

Another key detail would be what the money was tagged to, she said.

"Is it tagged to direct promotional events, such as a food fair, or is it for initiatives a company sets up on its own?

"Is it tagged to trade missions?

"Quite often it's difficult for small businesses to get involved in those."