A rapidly growing and urbanising African population could present a myriad of opportunities to the Australian grains sector.
That was the message from the Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre (AEGIC) during a recent Grains Research and Development Corporation ( GRDC) update in Perth.
AEGIC market insights acting manager Chris Carter said that while Asian market would continue to be Australia's bread and butter, the African market could be a growth area.
Dr Carter said AEGIC had been investigating African opportunities, via its Africa 2035 Insights project, funded by industry good body Grains Australia.
He said food consumption patterns in Africa, which has traditionally had a large number of subsidence farmers, were changing, with an explosion in urban population.
"By 2035 the population in Africa is tipped to increase by nearly 400 million people, responsible for about half of the world's population growth," he said.
"These developments position Africa as a robust source of new grain demand, necessitating increased local crop production, enhanced grain supply chains and dependable new grain import sources.
Dr Carter said Australia should remain focused on Africa as an opportunistic market and maintain connection through developing relationships and supplying expertise and technology.
"The industry should monitor African markets and seek to better understand changes in consumption towards more convenient food options and non-traditional food choices, as they occur," he said.
Dr Carter said he thought East Africa would represent the best opportunities for Australia, due to its freight advantages.
This includes nations with large populations such as Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
Wheat consumption is rising in this area, reflecting dietary change, with a rapidly growing gap between wheat production and consumption in East Africa and some other African countries.