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16 April 2024
Western Australian
agrifood export eNews
Western Australia's world-class wineries are set to receive a boost as the State Government unveils a $500,000 package to help them recapture the lucrative Chinese market. Premier Roger Cook and Regional Development Minister Don Punch announced the funding last Friday, following the recent removal of Chinese wine import tariffs.
This investment will provide much-needed assistance to WA wineries as they re-establish relationships with Chinese retailers and distributors.
The package also includes support for promoting WA's premium wines within China. This includes hosting trade delegations and participating in key industry events like Vinexpo Asia in Hong Kong (May 2024) and ProWine in Shanghai (November 2024).
Premier Cook further emphasised the government's commitment to the WA wine industry by leading a roundtable discussion on Friday. This forum addressed strategies for rebuilding crucial partnerships and trade channels within China.
This funding builds upon the ongoing Wine Industry Export Growth Partnership between the State Government and Wines of WA. Through this initiative, each have contributed $3 million over four years to support industry-led growth initiatives that maximise market reach for WA wines, both domestically and internationally.
Wines of Western Australia Chief Executive Officer Larry Jorgensen said, “The Western Australian Government has worked closely with our producers and exporters to support our valuable industry. With the reopening of the China market, we will continue to work with them to re-establish key relationships and promote our products and wonderful wine tourism experiences.”
Prior to the introduction of tariffs, China was the state's top export market, accounting for a significant portion (38%) of total wine exports in 2019-20. During that period, WA shipped 2.1 million litres of wine to China, valued at $18.3 million.
Source: WA Government / Wines of WA | Photo: Serge Esteve / Unsplash
Next month, the Austrade TradeStart Western Australia team, WA Government, and Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA will host 17 international importers from Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan, China, Vietnam, and the United Arab Emirates who are looking to meet WA producers of premium foods (fresh and packaged) and non-alcoholic beverages.
A showcase event will be held on 13 May 2024 in Perth and is open to export ready producers from all WA regions. Participation will be selected by Expressions of Interest only. To be part of the showcase, please complete an online form by 19 April.
For more information, please contact Jo Taylor at the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development at export@dpird.wa.gov.au.
The Taste WA 2024 mission is a collaboration between:
- Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
- Invest and Trade WA
- Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA
- South West Development Commission
- Great Southern Development Commission.
Source and Photo: DPIRD
A Western Australian scientist is seeking to tap into German ingenuity and North American crop research to unlock the next steps in making soil re-engineering a commercial reality for Australian grain growers.
Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) principal research scientist Gaus Azam said soil re-engineering held great promise as the next significant advancement for the grains industry.
Dr Azam is this week visiting Germany, which is a global developer and producer of agricultural machinery, then will travel to Canada and the United States of America in September to meet leading crop and soil researchers.
The study is supported by a travel scholarship through the Grains Research and Development Corporation Recognising and Rewarding Excellence Award, presented to Dr Azam last year.
“Recent findings from soil profile re-engineering research indicate the potential to double grain yield and water use efficiency of major grain crops,” Dr Azam said.
“To fully translate these findings into practical applications on a commercial scale and achieve a new frontier in grain yield and water use efficiency, the development of next-generation soil re-engineering machinery is imperative.
“This may involve developing and building machinery domestically or sourcing cutting-edge technologies from other countries.”
While in Germany, Dr Azam’s visit will include the University of Bonn, which is renowned as a leading research institute in agricultural engineering globally, collaborating with the agricultural machinery industry and conducting field-based research using state-of-the-art machinery technology.
Source and Photo: DPIRD [DPIRD Principal Research Scientist Dr Gaus Azam.]
Western Australian agrifood exporters are strongly encouraged to subscribe to the Industry Advice Notice (IAN) email notification system to receive announcements and updates on issues concerning exporting from Australia.
Produced by the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), IANs cover a wide range of industries and products including, but not limited to:
- Plant Exports – Grain subscription covers grains, pulses, oil seeds, seeds for sowing, nuts, mung beans, coffee beans, stock feed, seaweed, sugar, tea, tobacco leaf, logs, timber, wood packing, soil, fertiliser, lucerne pellets, mulch (bagged), orchid mix, compost, plant based pellets, potting mix, sand, seed raising mix, and dried and/or processed vegetables, flowers, herbs and spices for consumption only.
- Plant Exports – Fresh Fruit and Vegetable subscription covers fresh fruit and vegetables.
- Plant Exports – Registered Establishments subscription covers premises registered to prepare goods for export, export compliant goods storage and quality system recognition.
- Dairy Industry Notices advise the dairy export industry of general issues or changes to operational requirements including: billing arrangements, certification, legislation, importing country requirements and, departmental systems updates (including NEXDOC), market access advices are released to notify dairy industry of changes to export trade conditions.
DAFF also produces a range of trade and market access news such as: Agricultural Trade Quarterly Briefing; Thailand Special Agricultural Safeguards; and Agricultural market intelligence insights.
Source and Photo: DAFF
Some of Australian agriculture’s largest research and development corporations
and industry organisations have joined forces to help secure enhanced business
opportunities and profile for Australian food and beverages exporters across Asia.
The Australian Food and Wine Collaboration Group – comprising Dairy Australia, Meat and Livestock Australia, Wine Australia, Hort Innovation and Seafood Industry Australia – is harnessing the collective strength of Australia’s finest fresh food and wine in a Team Australia approach to building export markets for Australian producers.
In its first two-year program, the group targeted four key Asian markets – Thailand, South Korea, Vietnam, and Indonesia – with a rolling program of activities to increase and diversify export market opportunities for Australian producers.
Under the campaign banner of 'Taste the Wonders of Australia', promotional activity has already been held in Thailand, South Korea and Vietnam, with the next activity in May 2024 taking place in Indonesia – a neighbouring country with a burgeoning consumer population.
All four key Asian markets increased their imports of Australian agriculture products last year by more than $1 billion each and are expected to continue to grow.
Source: DFAT Business Envoy / Wine Australia | Photo: Wine Australia [Jakarta]
Global goods trade is expected to pick up gradually this year following a contraction in 2023 that was driven by the lingering effects of high energy prices and inflation, World Trade Organisation (WTO) economists said in a new forecast last week.
The volume of world merchandise trade should increase by 2.6% in 2024 and 3.3% in 2025 after falling 1.2% in 2023. However, regional conflicts, geopolitical tensions and economic policy uncertainty pose substantial downside risks to the forecast.
In the latest Global Trade Outlook and Statistics report, WTO economists note that inflationary pressures are expected to abate this year, allowing real incomes to grow again – particularly in advanced economies – thus providing a boost to the consumption of manufactured goods.
A recovery of demand for tradable goods in 2024 is already evident, with indices of new export orders pointing to improving conditions for trade at the start of the year.
Source: WTO | Photo: Chuttersnap / Unsplash
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.
Subscribe to Western Australian Agrifood Export eNews.
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.
