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23 July 2024
Western Australian
agrifood export eNews
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), with the support of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Austrade, and the Department of Industry, Science and Resources, invites you to register for an online webinar with Indonesia’s Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH) on Indonesia’s new import requirements for halal and non-halal products on Thursday 25 July 2024 from 2:00-3:00pm (AWST).
The webinar is expected to feature presentations from BPJPH and will also include the opportunity to ask questions. While DFAT is finalising confirmation for BPJPH's attendance on 25 July, please register now to hold your spot. DFAT will send another email with the confirmed details once everything is finalised. If the webinar can't proceed on the planned date, DFAT will notify you via email and reschedule for another time.
Australian exporters that will be impacted by Indonesia’s new halal import requirements for food and beverage products (which will be mandatory from 17 October 2024) should attend this webinar. Exporters of other products (for example, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, medicinal products, clothing, appliances) are also welcome to join this session. While trade in these products will not be immediately affected by the new regulations, they will face similar import requirements in coming years.
Please see the DFAT webpage for further information on Indonesia’s Halal Law. If you have any other queries, please contact NTB@dfat.gov.au.
Source: DFAT | Photo: Budi Puspa Wijaya / Unsplash [Pecel, a traditional Javanese rice dish in Indonesia.]
Seafood Directions 2024 is searching for its next generation of leaders, offering a special rate of $545 for them to attend the premier biennial conference for the Australian seafood industry, which takes place in Hobart, Tasmania, from 10 to 12 September 2024.
They are looking for passionate individuals who embody the following qualities:
- Deeply Committed: They demonstrate a fervent interest in the seafood industry and their specific role within it.
- Eager to Learn: They actively seek to expand their knowledge and understanding of the industry.
- Network Builders: They are natural connectors who thrive in collaborative environments.
- Visionary Thinkers: They possess a forward-thinking mindset and a desire to shape the industry's future.
- New to Seafood Directions: They haven't previously attended this national conference.
Nominate them by simply emailing Ariana Leishman, briefly explaining why they qualify as an emerging leader.
The Seafood Directions 2024 Program – which also includes the Women in Seafood Australasia Breakfast and the National Seafood Industry Awards Gala Dinner – are available online.
Source: Seafood Directions 2024 | Photo: DPIRD
Australia’s reputation as an ideal destination for trade and investment has been further strengthened with the release of a new benchmark report by Austrade.
The 2024 Why Australia Benchmark Report outlines Australia’s competitive advantages, drawing on key economic, financial, social and demographic data from respected sources.
Austrade Chief Executive Officer Xavier Simonet, said the results of the report were clear and compelling for investors.
“The report highlights Australia's reputation as a transparent, open, stable, globally connected economy, and it is the reason we're a leading destination for innovative start-ups, research organisations and large multinationals,” he said.
“Australia has preferential market access to the dynamic Asia-Pacific, and geographically, has the fast-growing Southeast Asia region on our doorstep.
“The report also emphasises Australia’s strengths as a global leader in renewable energy, with significant opportunities for investors in renewable hydrogen, critical minerals, green metals and manufacturing,” Mr Simonet said.
Australia had the highest global ranking for adopting and adapting frontier technologies – with noteworthy Australia inventions including WiFi, the electronic pacemaker, the bionic ear and polymer bank notes.
Source and Image: Austrade
Australia’s extensive temperate coastline and ancient land position it as one of the world’s most biodiverse regions for seaweeds. Featuring a diverse array of species, these marine organisms offer a rich composition of protein, carbohydrates, fibre, fatty acids, and minerals, earning them the moniker of agriculture’s ‘green gold’.
AgriFutures Australia embarked on a research project funded through their Business Innovation Grant round, to investigate the viability of seaweed as a profitable feed option for livestock.
The Investigating the use of seaweed as silage in feed for ruminant livestock project aimed to unveil opportunities and obstacles associated with utilising seaweed as silage in ruminant livestock feed, as beef and dairy producers increasingly adopt silage as a year-round supplement.
Seaweed boasts impressive nutritional qualities and is 10 to 20 times richer in minerals than terrestrial plants. This study has uncovered the practical challenges which need to be considered, when considering its use as an agricultural input.
The potential uses for seaweed are outlined in the Practical use of seaweed as a farm input fact sheet, which explores a number of options, from its potential as an alternative to synthetic fertilisers to acting as a methane suppressant in ruminant livestock.
Source: AgriFutures Australia | Photo: Karen Chew / Unsplash [Tasmania]
Australia's national science agency, CSIRO, is helping small to medium enterprises (SMEs) enhance their research and development (R&D) knowledge with a free 10-week online program focused on digital technologies and artificial intelligence (AI).
CSIRO’s Innovate to Grow: Digital Technologies and Artificial Intelligence program connects businesses working on solutions in digital technologies and AI with knowledge, resources, and mentors to learn how to advance their project or ideas.
Dr Liming Zhu, CSIRO’s Data61 Research Director for Software and Computational Systems, said an Innovate to Grow program focused on digital technologies and AI could not be timelier.
“Digital technologies and AI continue to reshape industries and drive economic growth,” Dr Zhu said. “The rise of generative AI and large language models like ChatGPT are rapidly transforming the digital and cyber innovation landscape. Whether they're creating knowledge-intensive products or seeking to add innovative features to interact with customers, companies can tap into new growth opportunities thanks to the increasing power of generative AI.”
The program is open to SMEs working in the following subsectors: AI, including
computer vision; machine learning; ChatGPT/large language models; natural language processing; digital manufacturing; quantum computing; cybersecurity
robotics and autonomous systems; other.
Source and Image: CSIRO
IMF: Global growth broadly unchanged
In its latest World Economic Outlook Update, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has maintained its global growth forecast at 3.2% for 2024 and slightly higher at 3.3% for 2025. However, beneath the surface, trends are shifting. Major economies are converging as their growth rates adjust. The United States, after a strong 2023, shows signs of a cooling labour market, while the eurozone is poised for a pick-up after a stagnant previous year.
Asia's emerging markets remain the growth engine, with upwardly revised projections for India and China. These powerhouses contribute nearly half of global growth. But the outlook for the next five years is less optimistic, with waning momentum expected in emerging Asia. China's growth, for example, is projected to slow to 3.3% by 2029, significantly lower than its current pace.
The IMF also maintains its April projection of global inflation slowing to 5.9% this year, down from 6.7% in 2023. This suggests a potential soft landing. However, disinflation is progressing more slowly than anticipated in some advanced economies, particularly the US, raising concerns about a potential resurgence of inflation.
Source and Graphic: IMF
Further information
Agribusiness, commercial fishing and aquaculture news from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD). If you have any questions or information to share, please email export@dpird.wa.gov.au.
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Important disclaimer
The Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and the State of Western Australia accept no liability whatsoever by reason of negligence or otherwise arising from the use or release of this information or any part of it.
Copyright © State of Western Australia (Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development), 2024.
