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9 July 2024
Western Australian
agrifood export eNews
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s (DPIRD’s) ‘Shoestring Digital’ program will assist local businesses to implement low cost, low risk digital solutions to address business constraints and opportunities.
The program will be rolled out in collaboration with a number of organisations and businesses with expertise in affordable, easily accessible digital technologies.
Cambridge University has been engaged to deliver its ‘Digital Manufacturing on a Shoestring’ training sessions to help small and medium sized businesses examine how these technologies can benefit their enterprises.
The sessions are supported by experts from DPIRD, North Metropolitan TAFE, local engineering firms and WA universities to help participants select, design and install simple, low cost digital solutions.
DPIRD project officer Felipe Barria said program participants could access a comprehensive suite of digital tools, educational resources and support services relevant to their business needs.
Agrifood and Beverage businesses interested in participating in the Shoestring Digital program can visit the DPIRD website and register to join the program.
Businesses can also register online to join a webinar to learn more about the program to be held on Tuesday, 30 July 2024.
Source and Photo: DPIRD
Under Round 6 of the Access Asia Business Grants (AABG), 16 local businesses have received funding to help advance their export and trade activities in new Asian markets.
The grant recipients will share in more than $325,000 (GST excl.) in grant funding, with each receiving up to a maximum of $30,000 (GST excl.).
The 16 projects fall in all eight priority sectors of the State’s economic development framework Diversify WA: primary industries; tourism, events and creative industries; international education; defence industries; mining and mining equipment, technology and services (METS); space industries; health and medical life sciences; and energy.
Projects funded in round six include developing an export strategy for locally-produced spirits, marketing an automated gas detection shutdown unit to the Southeast Asian market, scoping opportunities for Western Australian-made solar and battery systems in Indonesia and Timor-Leste and promoting Western Australian Ultra Running events across Asian markets.
The AABG program is a key initiative under Western Australia's Asian Engagement Strategy 2019-2030 - Our future with Asia, which provides a framework for the State’s long-term engagement with key Asian markets and responds to our need to diversify the economy and create skilled jobs for Western Australians.
Since its inception in 2019, this competitive grants program has awarded approximately $1.72 million to 96 local small and medium enterprises and organisations.
More information about the recipients and their projects can be found on the Round 6 recipients page on the WA Government website.
Source: WA Gov and JTSI | Image: JTSI
For Great Southern producers with representation in Japan
Registrations close 12th July 2024
WA WINES TO THE WORLD has secured one of three masterclasses that will be held in conjunction with the Australian Wine Tasting Tokyo 2024, to take place on 10th September,
The theme for the masterclass will be "GREAT SOUTHERN GEMS - Riesling & Syrah". This Masterclass is open to all Japan exporters from Great Southern with wines that meet the eligibility criteria. Those producers participating in the main tasting event are strongly encouraged to submit, however we will consider wines from all Japan exporters.
Masterclass criteria:
- 100% Great Southern GI fruit - Riesling and Syrah/Shiraz
- 90 points (minimum) OR equivalent 3rd party endorsement
- Wines must be available for purchase in Japan
Source: Wine Australia | Photo: fortune.com
The Western Australian Government has announced the first sublicences for the second stage of the Albany Aquaculture Development Zone (Albany Zone), to boost aquaculture production along the south coast.
At full capacity, the Albany Zone is expected to produce around 1500 tones of shellfish at an estimated value of $30 million per year, creating more than 200 direct jobs.
The WA Government has invested $1.3 million into identifying and establishing aquaculture development zones along the south coast of Western Australia.
Aquaculture development zones provide ‘investment-ready’ platforms for large scale aquaculture operators, with environmental approvals and management frameworks already in place.
Stage one of the Albany Zone was announced in August 2020, covering 500 hectares in the Oyster Harbour area. Stage two, covering around 310 hectares of Princess Royal Harbour and King George Sound combined, was declared in December 2021.
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) worked closely with the Southern Ports Authority (SPA) to finalise tenure arrangements for stage two of the Albany Zone.
Source: Food Magazine | Image: Artur/stock.adobe.com
The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has released its latest trade statistics, indicating a positive shift in global merchandise trade. After a stagnant year in 2023, the first quarter of 2024 saw a welcome uptick in trade volume.
Measured by the average of exports and imports, trade volume increased by 1% compared to the previous quarter. This growth extends to a 1.4% increase year-on-year, suggesting a positive trend compared to the same period in 2023. Notably, most regions contributed to this upswing, with the exception of Europe, where exports and imports continued to decline.
These figures align with the WTO's most recent trade forecast published in April. The report predicted global merchandise trade volume to grow by 2.6% in 2024 and 3.3% in 2025. The 1% increase observed in the first quarter falls within these projections. If this pace continues throughout the year, trade volume could be 2.7% higher in 2024 compared to the previous year.
An interesting detail emerges when looking at the US dollar value of trade. While volume increased, the value of merchandise trade dipped by 2% year-on-year. This suggests that export and import prices fell during the first quarter of 2024.
For further details and access to the latest trade data, you can visit the WTO's online database.
Source and Graphic: WTO
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.
