Kakadu plum powder wins repeat orders in Japan: NAAKPA’s trial-to-reorder path

This Japan export story dates to 2023–2024. Austrade’s 9 September 2024 case records a food-show meeting between NAAKPA and online retailer Horizon Farms. A trial order for Kakadu plum powder was followed by two further orders: actual repeat business, not a forecast.

NAAKPA works with six Aboriginal enterprises to commercialise Kakadu plums while supporting food-safety training, sustainability and intellectual property protection. CEO Paul Saeki also described exports as a way for custodians to tell their own story and explain their connection to the product.

Domestic sales had plateaued. Members harvest in different seasons in the Northern Territory and northern Western Australia, from wild areas and fixed orchards. Wild harvesting can involve up to 200 people. Saeki said the income returns to their townships and communities.

Saeki used Austrade’s Go Global Toolkit to understand exporting, research markets and prepare a plan. He said the framework helped the team handle more preparation itself and reserve consultant spending for difficult matters. Preparation was not itself the commercial outcome.

The buyer connection came at Fine Food Australia in September 2023. Austrade invited NAAKPA to meet international food buyers, including Horizon Farms. The Japanese retailer first tested the powder, then reordered twice. Saeki directly attributed the relationship to those meetings.

Processing work remained. The 2024 profile said the Northern Territory had no food-processing contract manufacturers, requiring NAAKPA to ship plum pallets to coastal cities at added cost and possible quality impact. It planned to lease small-scale processing space in Darwin before considering a larger facility. This was a proposal, not an operating factory.

Sources

• NAAKPA harvests plum rewards for First Nations producers | Austrade

Some images in this article are generated illustrations.