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29 July 2025
Western Australian agrifood export eNews
The Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) is inviting feedback from Export Market Development Grants (EMDG) recipients, businesses, and other interested stakeholders to guide this review and support government decision making.
The Independent Review (the review) will consider changes made since the last review in July 2020 and explore opportunities for continuous improvement in the program’s operation and delivery.
To support your participation, please read the Consultation Paper. It outlines the context of the review and includes guiding questions.
How to give feedback
There are three ways you can give feedback.
- Email your submission to emdgreview@austrade.gov.au or complete the online submission form by 12 September 2025.
- Complete a survey from here by 15 August 2025.
- Join an in-person consultation meeting in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, or Sydney. There will also be the possibility of online consultations for stakeholders in other locations as well as group meetings depending on demand. Further information about how to register for the sessions will be available on the website in August.
For more information, please click here or contact emdgreview@austrade.gov.au.
Source: Austrade | Image: iStock
Whether you are pumping out product from your home kitchen or getting ready to scale up your award-winning creation — this is for you.
Join us for the Sustainable Innovative Food Technologies (SIFT) Connect Open Night — a relaxed, info-packed evening for early-stage food and beverage founders looking to grow smarter, faster, and more sustainably.
What to expect
SIFT Centre Tour: Get a firsthand look at WA’s purpose-built space designed to help food and beverage startups scale.
Know Your Stuff Panel: From Start to Market with Shire of Murray Dr Danica-Lea Larcombe on the steps to getting your business registered with local government, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development David Leevers discussing the $20,000 agrifood and beverage voucher program, Future Food Systems Dr James Krahe sharing insights on new product development and Peel Produce Markets Megan Walsh on go to market strategies.
Real Talk Panel: “Building a business from below the ground up” Adam Wilson, founder of Great Southern Truffles, will share how he grew his business from an idea in a garage to a free-hold food factory in Osborne Park.
Moderated by David Doepel, Managing Director of SIFT and serial entrepreneur.
Frank and fearless Q&A: Your chance to get honest advice from someone who has been there.
Meet with like-minded People: Network with fellow makers, founders, and potential collaborators in a collegial setting.
Date and time
Wednesday, 13 August 2025, 4pm to 6pm (AWST)
Venue
FIPWA – 37 Dollyup Road, Nambeelup, WA 6207
This is not a pitch night. It is a community night — real talk, real connections, real results.
Please secure your spot from here now as spots are limited.
Source and image: DPIRD/SIFT
Pilbara Ports has achieved a significant milestone, with a record 775.7 million tonnes of exports and imports passing through its ports in the 2024-25 financial year.
Over the 2024-25 financial year, 775.7 million tonnes of throughput passed through the ports of Ashburton, Dampier, Port Hedland, and Varanus Island.
This throughput equates to an estimated $153 billion worth of commodities across the four ports, highlighting the vital role Pilbara Ports plays in the global supply chain and the Australian economy.
The Port of Port Hedland contributed significantly to this achievement with a throughput of 577.7 million tonnes, a 1 per cent increase from last financial year, solidifying its status as one of Australia's most important ports.
Pilbara Ports play a crucial role in facilitating Australia's iron ore trade, handling approximately 81 per cent of the national trade and 43 per cent of the global trade.
Salt exports through the ports of Port Hedland and Dampier totalled 5.3 million tonnes in 2024-25, accounting for about 26 per cent of Australian salt production.
For more information on monthly port and shipping figures, please visit Pilbara Ports' port statistics.
Source: WA Gov | Image: Pilbara Ports
Noodle lovers in Japan know exactly what they want when it comes to udon. The perfect udon noodles should have a mouthfeel known as ‘mochi mochi’ – a unique balance of softness and firmness, combined with good elasticity and a slight stickiness. Appearance is also crucial; udon noodles must have a bright and creamy very slightly yellow colour, with good colour stability – i.e. they stay looking good for longer. Japanese flour millers know that the best wheat for udon is grown in Western Australia.
An Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre (AEGIC)-led delegation travelled to Tokyo in June for the annual AEGIC wheat quality technical seminar for the Japanese market.
This year, the seminar was hosted at the Australian Embassy in Tokyo and was attended by representatives from across the flour milling and noodle sectors in Japan.
AEGIC coordinated a strong “Team Australia” presence, collaborating with Grains Australia, InterGrain, Australian Grain Technologies, and Grain Trade Australia.
While in Tokyo, AEGIC collaborated with the Japan Flour Millers Association (JFMA) to conduct udon sensory evaluation to support our Udon texture requirements project, supported by Grains Australia.
For almost 35 years, Japan has exclusively imported noodle wheat from WA that has been bred especially for udon. WA supplies about 750,000t of a special noodle wheat blend to Japan at a value of around $300 million annually.
In 2024-25, total Australian wheat exports to Japan were worth $545 million.
For AEGIC’s market engagement, please click here.
Source and image: AEGIC
Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) acknowledges the completion of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry’s (DAFF) review into the importation of beef from the United States and Canada.
Following an extensive review, DAFF and the competent authorities in both countries have finalised health certification and import permit conditions. As a result, both US and Canadian beef will be permitted entry into Australia.
It is important to note that US beef has technically had access to the Australian market since 2019 but has exported negligible volumes during that time.
The impact of US and Canadian beef entering Australia is expected to be minimal. It is unlikely there will be an adverse effect on Australian cattle producers.
The potential for US beef to be imported into Australia in large volumes is minimal, given the high demand for beef in the US, the low US cattle herd, the strength of the Australian dollar, our competitive domestic supply, and most importantly Australians’ strong preference for high-quality, tasty and nutritious Australian beef.
In fact, demand for Australian beef in the US continues to grow. In June 2025, exports to the US rose 24% year-on-year, despite a 10% tariff introduced in April.
The Australian Government decision to permit beef imports from the United States and Canada follows a comprehensive risk assessment, ensuring that all biosecurity protocols and import conditions meet Australia’s high standards.
For the full article, please click here.
Source: MLA | 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.
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), 2025.
