Darling Downs boutique beef producer Clayton’s Organic Beef is aiming to extend its online reach into Dubai and Vietnam and boost its American sales, a goal that will be supported with a  $10,000 Queensland Government grant.

Clayton and Jackie Sargood. Image: Clayton’s Organic Beef

Premier and Minister for Trade Annastacia Palaszczuk said Clayton’s is one of 45 Queensland companies to receive a share of Trade and Investment Queensland’s $440,000 E-commerce Grants Program, alongside 24 other regional producers.

“E-commerce grants are a key part of my government’s COVID-19 economic recovery plan to boost Queensland businesses’ global marketing,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“COVID-19 hit small export businesses like Clayton’s Organic Beef hard when their international customers were shut down and online sales hampered by logistical issues.

“These grants will back their pivot to increased international online sales, which is key to competing in an increasingly virtual global marketplace.”

Clayton’s Organic Beef Managing Director Jackie Sargood said the company exported 95 per cent of its certified organic beef to the US, so they would use their grant to update their US website and develop sites for Dubai and Vietnam.

“We have been exporting to the US for 10 years, so when their restaurants were closed for four months during the first COVID-19 outbreak last year we had to manage changes to our orders and products,” Mrs Sargood said.

“We are negotiating with buyers in Dubai and Vietnam and are developing websites to incorporate those countries into our global marketing strategy.”

Jackie and her husband Clayton Sargood run their family-owned boutique beef producer from their 260ha property Tulloch Brae just north of Toowoomba, then finish the Angus-Santa Gertrudis cattle they breed on their 16,000ha Augathella property.

“Over the years we have built up enough supply of certified organic beef to serve our market while controlling every aspect of the process to ensure animal welfare and ecologically sustainable farming practices, with no pesticides or added hormones,” Mrs Sargood said.

“We can trace every beast from pasture to plate.

“We care for the cattle and what they eat, muster on horseback to minimise stress, and use our own transport and specialist abattoir facilities to ensure humane treatment, which all adds up to natural, healthy, better tasting meat.”

“We could not keep growing and tackle the global market without this grant and the continuing support from the Queensland Government.”

Trade and Investment Queensland’s E-commerce Grant Program has recipients based in South-East Queensland, the Darling Downs, Wide Bay, Central Queensland, Outback Queensland and Far North Queensland.

Companies needed to produce and export Queensland products, have e-commerce marketing plans and strategies for their overseas markets, and have been exporting for more than a year.

For more information visit tiq.qld.gov.au.