Western Australian agrifood and beverage product manufacturing businesses are reminded to get their applications in soon for funding to access professional business support services.

Vouchers of up to $10,000 are available to help eligible businesses to engage consultants or technical experts to help grow their businesses under the Agrifood and Beverage Voucher Program, delivered by DPIRD.

DPIRD Acting Program Manager, Jon Berry said the program supported small to medium-sized enterprises across regional and metropolitan areas to overcome potential barriers to growth, reduce risks around planned expenditure and capture new opportunities for growth.

“Vouchers are available on a dollar-for-dollar co-contribution basis to help eligible businesses gain expert advice across nine key areas,” Mr Berry said.

“These include business planning, quality assurance, market positioning, e-commerce planning, technology and digital advice, export capability development, technical expertise, planning for investment and transitioning to manufacturing.”

DPIRD has also released the WA Food and Beverage Professional Service Provider Directory, to help connect WA food and beverage product manufacturers with service providers experienced in working with the food and beverage manufacturing industry.  Source and Photo:  DPIRD [L-R: Liz Mencel, Wine Export Consultant, Purple Feet; Leah Clearwater, former Manager, Happs Winery; Jon Berry DPIRD Agribusiness Food and Trade]

Australia’s seafood industry encouraged the community to support our fishers and great Australian seafood as part of World Fisheries Day celebrations last Saturday.

“Australia’s seafood industry is responsibily managed and produces some of the best seafood in the world,” Seafood Industry Australia Chief Executive Officer Veronica Papacosta said.

“And, what better way to celebrate World Fisheries Day than by tossing a few great Australian prawns on the barbie, a side of Tasmanian Atlantic salmon in the oven or pan-searing some iconic Australian barramundi.

“Right now, 70% of seafood eaten in Australia is imported and as part of World Fisheries Day we’re calling on the community to support their Australian seafood industry, after an especially hard year, and ask for Aussie seafood whether it’s at their fishmonger, fish and chip shop, or local Thai restaurant.

“Australia’s seafood industry is subject to some of the most intensive fisheries management and reporting protocols in the world. As an industry, accountability is incredibly important. Every Australian boat, catch and pot has to be logged and submitted to the relevant authority.  As fishers, our priority is the ocean.  It’s our livelihood, and the future livelihood of generations to come."  More...  Source and Photo:  SIA [Fremantle]

Fruit importers in India have noted increased demand for apples, citrus and table grapes, and are keen to fulfil this demand with Australian produce, Austrade reports in its latest South Asia update for Australian exporters.

Austrade says a leading importer, IG International, is seeking imports of citrus, pear and kiwi from Australia to fulfil monthly orders for two to three containers.

Citrus Australia is currently developing a five-year export strategy in which India will prominently figure. 

For further assistance, please contact Austrade.  More...  Source:  Austrade  |  Photo:  DPIRD

Western Australian scientists have been central to another leap in modern crop breeding technologies around the globe.

The Western Crop Genetics Alliance was a key contributor to the recent detailed DNA sequencing of world-wide barley genomes by an international consortium.

The research by the Alliance, a partnership between DPIRD and Murdoch University, had additional co-investment from the Grains Research and Development Corporation.

Mapping the barley ‘pan genome’ – the entire set of genes from a wide diversity of strains within the species – provides a blueprint to breed the next generation of high performance varieties.

The work builds on the Alliance’s contribution to the first mapping of the barley reference genome in 2017.  More...  Source and Photo:  DPIRD  [DPIRD Primary Industries Development Deputy Director General Dr Mark Sweetingham (left), Western Crop Genetics Alliance director Professor Chengdao Li and State Agricultural Biotechnology Centre manager David Berryman discuss the recent mapping of the barley pan genome in the Alliance’s laboratory.] 

The Federal Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment has issued an Industry Advice Notice to advise the mainland apple and pear industry that applications are now open for the accreditation of orchards/blocks and packhouses to export to Thailand for the 2021 season.

Applicants can complete their application forms using the Apple and Pear Australia Limited export registration system.

Applications must be submitted by 2pm AWST, 15 January 2021. Late applications will not be accepted.

If you have any questions regarding this, please email the Horticulture Exports Program.  More...  Source:  DAWE  |  Photo:  APAL

The European Union's system of identifying food products based on origin – Geographical Indications (GIs) – is a driver of rural development throughout Europe.

Australia is considering extending the protection of European food and spirit product names to its own market as part of the Australia-European Union Free Trade Agreement, currently under negotiation.

In this webinar, which took place last week and was hosted by the EU Centre of Excellence at RMIT University in Melbourne, speakers from the EU and Australia discussed how this could this work in practice, and if there are benefits for consumers, producers and regional development. 

Raimondo Serra, Deputy Head of Unit Responsible for Asia and Australasia at the European Commission, said that GI differentiation in the market can yield a better price – on average 2.23 times the price of a standard product – and better division of the added value along the food chain.  More...  Source and Photos:  European Commission

World merchandise trade appears to have rebounded strongly after plummeting in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, but whether growth can be sustained going forward is unclear, according to the WTO’s latest Goods Trade Barometer released last Friday.

A sharp rise in the barometer index was driven by a surge in export orders, but mixed readings in other components and the resurgence of COVID-19 could weigh on trade in the coming months.

The Goods Trade Barometer’s current reading of 100.7 marks a dramatic improvement from the 84.5 recorded last August, which reflected collapsing trade and output in the second quarter as lockdowns and travel restrictions were employed to fight the virus.

The latest reading indicates a strong rebound in trade in the third quarter as lockdowns were eased, but growth is likely to slow in the fourth quarter as pent-up demand is exhausted and inventory restocking is completed.  More...  |  Related:  WTO: Drop in world trade far less than feared  |  Source and Photo:  WTO