Wonboyn Lake oyster farmer Stacey Loftus has been awarded a prestigious scholarship, which will see her travel around the world to research marketing and branding in oyster production.
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The Nuffield Scholarship, supported by the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, allows Stacey to travel to the USA, France, Ireland, Japan and Singapore.
Stacey is business manager of the family oyster farm at Wonboyn Lake, working with her husband Andrew and parents-in-law Ross and Anne, at one of the largest oyster farms.
They are one of the largest oyster producers in Wonboyn, farming nine leases over 13 hectares, and producing close to 30,000 dozen oysters for the domestic market, mostly wholesale into Sydney and Brisbane.
Her main roles in the business involve marketing, establishing new relationships with stakeholders, accounting, coordination of staff and managing harvest and stock movement records.
Stacy says that, historically, the Sydney Rock oyster industry has not branded or marketed itself well; a situation she wants to change.
“Oyster farming has not been an environmentally friendly industry, with the use or tar and wooden sticks and rails creating pollution and shell bed problems.
“We are moving into a more environmentally responsible age, by using plastics that don’t break down, are often recycled, and always very costly – we now need to use these new sustainable standards to market ourselves.”
Stacey wants to investigate how oyster farms all over the world have successfully used branding.
“I am particularly interested in how long-standing industries in Europe and the revitalised American sector approach marketing, but I also realise I can draw experience from other industries,” she said.
Nuffield Australia is an organisation which provides an opportunity to Australian farmers to travel overseas on an agricultural research scholarship.
It is a 16-week program consisting of both group and individual travel.
The next groups will be travelling through New Zealand, Brazil, the USA, Mexico, the UK, South Africa, Kenya and Europe in March-April 2015.