WA'S Agriculture and Food Minister Terry Redman said he told Federal Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig last year about the need for more government-to-government dialogue with the Middle East market.
Mr Redman said he met with exporters late last year and they had expressed their concerns to him about the lack of government support in the implementation process.
Mr Redman said he relayed that message to several Federal Ministers.
He said he had spoken with Mr Ludwig, Regional Australia Minister Simon Crean and Trade Minister Craig Emerson and expressed the concerns exporters had.
"The pressure is obviously on exporters as they are the ones who need to implement the new exporting standards," Mr Redman said.
"Exporters did raise these concerns with me then and I have reflected those concerns onto the respective ministers."
Yet Mr Ludwig is only now heading to the Middle East to discuss implementation of the Supply Chain Assurance (SCA).
Mr Ludwig is due to lead a delegation of industry representatives to the Middle East tomorrow, but Mr Redman said he was not invited.
Farm Weekly understands Department of Agriculture WA (DAFWA) executive director of livestock industries Kevin Chennell will travel with the delegation as a WA industry representative, along with a number of WA exporters.
Mr Redman would not comment on whether he thought Mr Ludwig should have been in the Middle East earlier.
"I am anxious about the issue in terms of rolling out the supply chain processes into the Middle Eastern markets," he said.
"There are some markets which are easier to implement changes in than others.
"There are some markets that will be very challenging and that is clearly making exporters very anxious.
"I think there has been a fair amount of activity from senior government officials but I think where the exporters are concerned is that it is one thing to have industry working on the ground level but they are asking for more government-to-government discussions.
"I think that is what Mr Ludwig intends to do with this trip and he has my support."