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7 January 2025
Western Australian
agrifood export eNews
After a four-year ban, the highly anticipated first shipments of live western rock lobsters to be exported to China are finally on their way to restaurants and dinner plates.
In 2020, the Chinese government imposed restrictions on the importation of an assortment of Australian goods including wine, beef, barley, and lobster. Live rock lobster was the last item to have trade barriers removed with import permits issued in late December 2024.
Geraldton Fishermen's Cooperative CEO Marc Anderson was relieved stock was finally moving to the industry's largest and most valuable market.
With Chinese import permits issued and test loads sent and received, the first commercial shipments have been packed at the co-operative's Welshpool premises and loaded onto planes bound for Mainland China.
Prior to the trade ban, the Chinese market accounted for more than 95 per cent of western rock lobster exports.
Mr Anderson said the Geraldton Fishermen's Cooperative had developed 22 new markets to cover the gap left by China's trade bans, including customers in Europe, South-East Asia, and the United States.
He said the intention was to service these diversified markets in the future, alongside China.
Source and image: ABC News
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Source and image: DPIRD
The Western Australian Government is backing research to create fresh opportunities in the wellness and value-add markets for Western Australian Bravo apples - boosting export potential and orchard sustainability.
The initiative will verify the health benefits of Bravo apples, while also developing new products made from the popular burgundy fruit, like snacks and juices.
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) has joined Fruit West Co-operative, Murdoch University, German machinery manufacturer Bruker BioSpin, and the Future Food Systems Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) to deliver the project.
The work will help to provide a competitive market advantage and diversify options for value-add apple products, backed by scientific evidence and proven product performance.
Research includes analysing the Bravo apple alongside a nutrition study to better understand the fruit's ability to lower the risk of heart disease.
Work on new products is already underway at the Sustainable Innovative Food Technologies (SIFT) Centre, a $12.2 million state-of-the-art food manufacturing facility delivered by the Cook Government.
The Food Innovation Precinct WA was backed by a $45 million Cook Government investment and supports primary producers, as well as food and beverage enterprises, to test, develop and produce new and enhanced value-add products, using advanced manufacturing technologies and processes.
Source and image: WA Gov
The Food & Wine Collaboration Group (Dairy Australia, Horticulture Innovation Australia, Meat & Livestock Australia, Seafood Innovation Australia and Wine Australia) have joined forces to harness the collective strength of Australia’s fresh food and wine in a Team Australia approach across key markets in Asia.
Under the campaign banner of 'Taste the Wonders of Australia', promotional activity has already been held in Thailand, South Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia and Taiwan from 2021-2024, with the next activity taking place in Japan in April 2025.
Wineries, who currently export to Japan and have product available in market are invited to express their interest in supplying wines for the seminar, networking drinks, and/or Gala Dinner event. There are three opportunities:
- 'My Australian Wine list' Education Seminar – a sommelier selection of Australian wines (6 wines, 4-5 bottles/SKU)
- Product Showcase & Networking Drinks (3 alternative varieties + 1 sparkling, 10 bottles/SKU)
- Gala Dinner – 5 course dinner with matching wines including 2 x whites, 2 x reds and dessert wine, Approx 12 bottles/SKU) – Wines poured at the dinner will be promoted on the menu, and introduced on stage to the guests.
Wines will be curated by a leading wine sommelier and will be based on EOIs, menu pairing suitability, availability in market and to showcase Australia's diverse regions and styles. Selected wines will be promoted to the seminar and dinner attendees and via a product display at the networking drinks and morning press conference.
Interested in participating? Please complete the registration form by 15 January 2025 and you will be notified if your wines are successfully nominated.
More information please contact Hollie.Thomas@wineaustralia.com
Source and image: Wine Australia
The WA Government will invest more than $3.2 million to support Western Australian farmers establish carbon farming projects under the latest round of the Carbon Farming and Land Restoration Program.
Funding will support six reforestation projects, which utilise less productive land to protect surrounding agricultural land, and twosoil carbon projects.
The eight projectsspan more than 7,300 hectares and are set to remove a projected 395,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere over the next 25 years.
Successful projects include the Locherbie Carbon Project, a 55-hectare reforestation project on Bronwen O'Sullivan's property in Cuballing, which will connect remnant vegetation in 14 planting areas and re-establish habitat in the Dryandra Woodland for native fauna such as numbats.
The Kunmallup Tree Project will drive 232 hectares of biodiverse plantings across low productivity land on Bindi Murray's Woodanilling farm to provide cover, connect remnant vegetation with nearby reserves, and reduce salinity.
In the Wheatbelt, the Rogers Agri Land Restoration Program will lead a large-scale integrated soil carbon and reforestation project on a South Tammin grazing enterprise. The reforestation portion will support regeneration while the soil carbon component will increase soil biological activity, reducing the use of synthetic fertilisers.
The remaining projects will undertake a range of regeneration or soil carbon activities to improve soil health, enhance climate resilience and boost productivity.
Four of the recipients developed their carbon farming project plans with support from the WA Government's Carbon for Farmers Voucher Program.
For a full list of projects funded by the Carbon Farming and Land Restoration Program, visit the webpage here.
Source: WA Gov | Image: DPIRD
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.
