Ongoing airfreight challenges continue affecting businesses across Australia. The Australian Government’s International Freight Assistance Mechanism (IFAM) team is committed to meaningful engagement with Australian businesses through its regular series of virtual briefings.

As part of the IFAM team’s ongoing engagement, the first IFAM WA Industry Briefing for 2021 has been scheduled for this Wednesday 10 February, from 11:15 to 12:15 WST (14:15 AEDST).

These sessions are a great opportunity to hear directly from IFAM’s International Freight Co-ordinator General, Mr Michael Byrne, and the Australian Government Freight Controller, Air Vice-Marshal Margaret Staib AM CSC.  As always, there will be an opportunity for participants to ask questions.

Listeners can expect to hear an update on IFAM’s export and import successes to date, challenges to address seasonal export needs and discussion regarding the need for exporters to adjust operations to maximise success in changed market conditions.

Interested readers are encouraged to sign up by emailing freightbriefing@austrade.gov.au - be sure to provide your name, business name and state/territory.

Full details on the latest IFAM outbound and inbound flights are available on the IFAM website.

Exporters should speak to their freight forwarder and visit the IFAM website for further assistance. If you have any questions or need more information, please email Airfreight@austrade.gov.au, or Austrade State Director WA, Jane Caforio, at jane.caforio@austrade.gov.au.  More...  Source:  Austrade  |  Photo:  Qantas   

Australia’s agricultural sector is set to enjoy an overall profitable year ahead – underpinned by high commodity prices, positive seasonal conditions and low interest rates, and despite expected continuing trade tensions with China – according to a newly-released industry outlook.

In its annual Agribusiness Outlook for 2021, global agribusiness banking specialist Rabobank says a generally profitable 2020-21 season for most Australian farmers will not only kick start recovery from the recent severe east coast drought, but also put the sector in a stronger position to navigate a number of major transitions it will face in the year ahead – the pandemic recovery, reducing reliance on China and increasing sustainability.

Report lead author, Rabobank head of Food and Agribusiness Research Tim Hunt said despite the turbulent environment facing the world as 2021 gets under way, global demand for food and agribusiness products remained 'surprisingly firm', while weather patterns were also favouring Australia ahead of competitors when it comes to production.  More...  Source:  Rabobank  |  Photo:  DPIRD

The Saudi barley market is being liberalised and this will open barley purchasing to more exporters, Austrade reports in its latest market insight. Instead of a single, state-related purchasing organisation, imports will purchased by 10 to 15 private sector entities.

Austrade advisors in the capital, Riyadh, say that greater flexibility will create more opportunities for mid-tier and smaller exporters from Australia. This includes the potential for smaller shipping orders.

The market opportunity is large in global terms:

• Saudi Arabia is currently the world’s largest importer of barley.
• The country purchased US$542 million-worth of barley in 2019.
• Imports for the period 2014–19 averaged US$911 million.
• Saudi Arabia is also moving to free up its internal market in barley, with prices responding to market forces.

For the latest updates, Australian barley growers and exporters are encouraged to contact Austrade’s Investment Manager in Riyadh, via email at: Mohsen.El-Bahaie@austrade.gov.au.  More...  Source:  Austrade

Registrations are now open for the 2021 Outlook Conference by Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES).

Held from 2 to 5 March, this year's event will explore growing Australian agriculture in an uncertain world with a week of insights from leading speakers on the opportunities and challenges ahead.  

Sessions include:

• The opening global and national context session.
• Agriculture in focus – outlook for commodities and farm incomes which features the ABARES commodity and farm financial performance data.
• What the threat of deglobalisation could mean for trade.
• A live panel discussion on improving water market outcomes in the southern Murray-Darling Basin.

The conference will also provide:

• Sessions addressing current sector issues such as helping Australian farmers adapt to climate change; horticulture and labour; and the value of Australian biosecurity.
• Issues and analysis for the range of commodity focussed sessions including red meat, forestry, fisheries, grains and dairy.

Read more and register at www.agriculture.gov.au/abares/outlook.  Source & Photo:  ABARES

The next World Fisheries Congress (WFC2021) is being held in Adelaide, South Australia, from 20 to 24 September 2021.

Bringing together the latest technological advances in marine and freshwater fisheries worldwide, WFC2021 will deliver a dynamic, engaging and comprehensive program under the overarching theme Sharing our oceans and rivers – a vision for the world's fisheries.

Delegates will be invited to participate in person or online through a hybrid program, so the congress can continue to connect the global fisheries and aquaculture community to discuss the sustainable development of the world’s oceans, lakes, estuaries and rivers.

The call for abstracts for WFC2021 has reopened. Abstract submissions will close on 15 February 2021.  More...  Source & Photo/Graphic:  WFC2021

This year's free online World Ocean Summit will deliver fresh, robust, and action-oriented insights into creating a sustainable ocean economy.

With over 5,000 participants and 150 speakers from across the globe, the event will focus on high-level conversation and policy making in plenary sessions, as well as specific industry detail in six dedicated tracks: aquaculture, fishing, shipping, energy, plastics, and tourism.

Hosted by the London-based Economist Group, the virtual week from 1 to 5 March 2021 offers the opportunity to access highly curated content and the chance to make meaningful connections no matter where you are in the world.  More...  Source:  The Economist Group  |  Photo:  FAO

In recent years, the number of people in Japan who avoid eating meat is increasing, particularly among the younger generation, Austrade reports in its latest North East Asia update for Australian exporters.

Motivations are mixed and range from health-related to environmental and ‘Meat-free-Mondays’ are popular. Though relatively small, the vegan population in Japan has more than doubled compared to two years ago. In the post-COVID-19 world, vege-meat business is likely to expand.

International Freight Assistance Mechanism (IFAM)-supported shipments of fresh asparagus to Japan have recommenced without major issues.  Australia is the dominant supplier of fresh asparagus from September to November, and usually accounts for over 80 per cent of the entire supply in Japan during this period.  Mexico is the principal competitor; from September to November 2019, the CIF (cost, insurance and freight) price per kilo of Mexican asparagus almost matched Australian asparagus.  More...  Source:  Austrade

The European Commission has launched Taste the Ocean, a brand new social media campaign in which top chefs promote the consumption of sustainably caught or produced fish and seafood.

More than just promoting fish consumption, the European Commission wants to create awareness among consumers about the importance of local, seasonal and sustainable consumption.

When produced or harvested correctly, fish and seafood can have an important place in a sustainable diet, with an environmental and carbon footprint much lower than most land-based animal protein.  More...  Source and Photo:  European Commission