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30 July 2024
Western Australian
agrifood export eNews
The WA Agricultural Research Collaboration (WAARC) has announced its first cohort of 23 postgraduate scholarship students as part of a new program to inspire future leaders and grow agricultural innovation in the State.
The Postgraduate Research Scholarship Program will provide successful applicants with top-up scholarships to the value of $24,000 a year for up to 3.5 years, to support living expenses while completing their PhDs.
The students will also be part of a professional development program aimed at building their agricultural research and development knowledge, skills, networks and first-hand industry experience.
Agriculture and Food Minister Jackie Jarvis and WAARC Director Kelly Pearce were among about 80 industry leaders and stakeholders who congratulated the scholarship students at the program’s launch event last Friday.
Applications for round 1 of the program opened in March and attracted 58 submissions.
Source and Photo: DPIRD / WAARC
A looming crisis in plant breeding could have severe consequences for global food supply, according to new research.
A critical shortage of scientists specialising in plant breeding is emerging, with potential to disrupt food production worldwide. This is the finding of a joint study by Australia's CSIRO, New Zealand's Lincoln University, and Canada's McGill University.
Plant breeding, the cornerstone of agriculture, is essential for developing crops that are more resilient, productive, and nutritious. However, a declining number of skilled professionals in this field is threatening to undermine these efforts.
The research highlights a generational shift, with experienced plant breeders retiring and fewer young scientists choosing to specialise in this area. Instead, many graduates are opting for other plant science disciplines, such as molecular biology.
Lead researcher Dr Lucy Egan from CSIRO warned that this trend could have "dire" implications for food security and economies globally, including Australia. She emphasised the urgent need to address the skills shortage to maintain current levels of agricultural production.
Source: CSIRO / Crop Science | Photo: DPIRD [PBA Jurien, a high yielding Australian sweet lupin variety suitable for all lupin growing areas of Australia, was developed by the PBA Lupin breeding program, led by DPIRD.]
If your small business needs to borrow between $20,000 and $350,000 to support an export-related contract or project, Export Finance Australia's Small Business Export Loan could be the solution you need.
The Small Business Export Loan is available for businesses that:
- Are Australian registered.
- Have been trading for at least two years (not start-ups).
- Have a turnover between $250,000 and $10 million.
- Have 20% of revenue from export sales*.
- Need to borrow $20,000 to $350,000.
- Can demonstrate profitable operations.
- Have an export-related funding need.
*If less than 20% of your revenue is from exports, Export Finance Australia may be able to support your export-related contracts and export market development costs.
For financing over $350,000, Export Finance Australia has a range of loans, bonds and guarantees.
Source and Graphic: Export Finance Australia
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has slightly raised its economic growth forecast for developing Asia and the Pacific this year to 5% from a previous projection of 4.9%, as rising regional exports complement resilient domestic demand. The growth outlook for next year is maintained at 4.9%.
Inflation is forecast to slow to 2.9% this year amid easing global food prices and the lingering effects of higher interest rates, according to the latest edition of Asian Development Outlook (ADO), released this month.
After a post-pandemic recovery that was driven mainly by domestic demand, exports are rebounding and helping propel the region’s economic growth.
“Most of Asia and the Pacific is seeing faster economic growth compared with the second half of last year,” said ADB Chief Economist Albert Park.
While inflation is moderating toward pre-pandemic levels in the region as a whole, price pressures remain elevated in some economies. Food inflation is still high in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific, in part due to adverse weather and food export restrictions in some economies.
The growth forecast for the People’s Republic of China, the region’s largest economy, is maintained at 4.8% this year. The outlook for India, the region’s fastest-growing economy, is also unchanged at 7% for fiscal year 2024. For Southeast Asia, the growth forecast is maintained at 4.6% this year amid solid improvements in both domestic and external demand.
Source and Image: ADB
The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has released the 2024 World Tariff Profiles, a joint publication by the WTO, International Trade Centre, and the United Nations International Trade Centre, providing detailed information on tariffs and non-tariff measures imposed by over 170 countries and territories.
Summary tables offer average "bound" and applied tariffs for each economy, covering both agricultural and non-agricultural sectors. One-page profiles provide more in-depth data, including tariffs by product group based on the 2023 Multilateral Trade Negotiations; categories and tariffs imposed on exports by main trading partners; and statistics on non-tariff measures like anti-dumping and countervailing measures complement the tariff data.
Source: WTO | Photo: Nathan Cima / Unsplash [Hai Phong International Container Terminal, Vietnam.]
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.
