Australia, October 29, 2026 — A family-owned processor located in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Gundagai Lamb, was selected as the state’s Exporter of the Year. This award recognizes both the rapid expansion of the business since it opened and its increasing market share internationally. In addition, it illustrates how many smaller food-related companies from rural areas are able to be successful in the global marketplace. Regional trade resources published by the Australian Trade and Investment Commission examine international market expansion.
A Company Built on Regional Roots
In 2020, the Barton family established Gundagai Lamb, leveraging over one hundred years of knowledge within the Australian meat sector. The company operates from the eastern slopes of the Riverina, which is recognized for having a temperate climate and high-quality pasture. These environmental factors have enabled the company to position their lamb as a premium product in both Australian and international markets. Red meat industry reports published by the Meat & Livestock Australia evaluate domestic livestock production and quality standards.
The company has grown rapidly over time. It has increased the number of farmers who supply lambs to its supply chain. During its third year of business, there were more than 230 farmers that delivered approximately 135,000 lambs to the brand. This rapid growth enabled an increase in production capacity and a larger geographic area for distributing products globally. Rural producer network studies published by the AgriFutures Australia review agricultural enterprise growth.
What the Award Recognises
The New South Wales Export Awards acknowledge companies that have shown exceptional growth in international trade, developed innovative products/services, and expanded their reach globally. Companies that win in their respective category will be automatically entered into the National Australian Export Awards. For many years, this program has recognized top-performing export companies from a wide variety of industries (such as agriculture, technology, etc.). National trade award overviews published by Export Finance Australia track business competitiveness.
Judges generally use several criteria to judge an exporter such as revenue growth, market diversification and environmental sustainability. Many of the previous winners of the awards have been food and beverage companies; which shows how much the state depends upon this sector for exports. This is just one more example of a Riverina based agribusiness being recognized in the award circuit. Regional economic reviews published by Investment NSW analyze agribusiness export achievements.
