THE state government has helped to secure major new contracts that will ensure the majority of beef sold to Western Australian consumers in Coles supermarkets is actually produced in WA. Agriculture and Food Minister Kim Chance said Coles had agreed to more than double the amount of beef it bought from WA, resulting in a multi-million dollar injection into the local beef industry. Two WA beef processors, Harvey Beef and Western Meat Packers, have each been contracted to supply Coles with 100 head of cattle per week, increasing to a total of 500 head per week over coming months. Mr Chance said this was fantastic news for the local beef industry and consumers because up to 70 per cent of beef sold in Coles supermarkets would be from WA. “There is no doubt consumers prefer to buy WA-grown beef because they can be assured of its quality and freshness,” Mr Chance said. “Coles has also agreed to support the state government’s ‘Buy West, Eat Best’ marketing campaign which promotes Western Australian produce to local consumers. “The government has committed $1 million over three years for the ‘Buy West, Eat Best’ program, which was specifically tailored to the needs of the food industry, by promoting the WA content and quality of food products to consumers.” Coles general manager supply chain, Fresh Richard Brown, said the company bought more than $600 million worth of WA’s fresh produce for its stores every year. Harvey Beef chief executive officer Michael Rapattoni said he was confident the partnership would benefit both WA producers and customers by increasing the amount of highquality local beef available to local consumers. Western Meat Packers Group general manager Linchon Hawks said his company was pleased to be expanding its 24-year business partnership with Coles and the latest deal was a win for everyone involved in the beef industry and customers.
