Western Australia is one of the most pest-free and disease-free agricultural production areas in the world. Strict quarantine requirements ensure this status benefits local producers and exporters, as well as consumers around the globe.

Helping preserve this enviable international reputation is Elsie Kinnaird, a Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) entomologist researching exotic pest insect species that could enter the State through commodity imports.  Her work helps keep WA free of exotic pests and diseases, protecting WA’s environment and biodiversity, agricultural productivity, and human health.

Elsie’s job involves researching the biology and impact certain species could have in WA.  She writes risk assessments which justify the conditions put on commodities entering the State, providing expert entomology advice if there is an exotic insect detection.

“I have a strong passion for this work.  Hands down, insects are the most amazing animals to ever exist.  I feel like an invasive insect detective, and I love solving problems or finding scientific evidence to support our decision making,” Elsie said.

As we celebrate International Women's Day today, DPIRD acknowledges the commitment and contribution of all women who work in the department, and the agribusiness, commercial fishing and aquaculture sectors.  Source and Photo:  DPIRD

Applications are now open for the accreditation of farms and packhouses for the export of fresh cucurbit species under the winter window pathway listed in the New Zealand Export Plan.

Western Australia certification assurance procedure CA-17 Pest Free Place of Production for Cucumber Green Mottle Mosaic Virus (CGMMV) has been approved by the Department of Agriculture Water and Environment (DAWE) for facilitating cucurbit exports to New Zealand via a Pest Free Place of Production (PFPP) management system.

Accreditation for a CGMMV PFPP for CA-17 is demonstrated by implementation of required biosecurity measures, crop monitoring, surveillance, sampling and diagnostic testing that provides assurance of freedom from CGMMV.

Businesses will need to apply for accreditation with DAWE’s Audit and Assurance Branch by close of business Friday 25 March 2022 and make an application for accreditation to Quarantine WA export for a certification assurance arrangement under the CA-17 operational procedure.

Crop monitors must complete the generic crop monitor course through the Tocal College online eLearning hub by close of business Friday 25 March to be eligible to conduct crop monitoring for cucurbits under the winter window pathway.

Information for businesses interested in registering for exports during the winter window pathway – 1 May to 1 September – is available on the DAWE website.  More...  Source:  DAWE / DPIRD

Harvesting of winter crops this season is now complete and national winter crop production is estimated to be the highest on record, driven by record production in Western Australia, and a near record in New South Wales.

The latest Australian Crop Report from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) estimates WA's winter crop production reached a record 23.1 million tonnes in 2021–22, out of an estimated national production of 61.9 million tonnes. The WA figure is 52% higher than the 10-year average and 30% higher than the previous record.

Production of wheat, barley and canola are all estimated to have reached new records. The record outcome was realised due to both record yield and area planted of winter crops. The record yield was a result of favourable timing of rainfall events and mild spring conditions.

Cooler temperatures in spring allowed crops to fill grain slowly, further lifting yield potential.  A common trade-off of high yields can be the subsequent dilution of protein levels, and WA recorded below average protein levels, with a higher than usual share of wheat making the Australian Standard White (ASW) grade.

WA's grain exports typically represent 40% of Australia's total grain exports and are sold into more than 30 countries throughout the world. In 2020-2021 the WA grains industry exported wheat worth $2.7 billion, barley $987.9 million, and canola $889.5 million.  More...  Source and Graphic:  ABARES

Global beef markets remain tight on strong ongoing consumer demand and constrained supply, however headwinds are building, Rabobank says in a newly-released report.

In its 2022 first quarter Global Beef Quarterly, the specialist agribusiness bank says while global beef prices remain high – with cattle prices across most key beef-producing regions at their highest levels in five years – cost pressures are building in the supply chain. And this will test the willingness of consumers to continue to pay ‘top dollar’ for beef.

“Over the past two years, retail beef prices have been phenomenal,” the report says, largely driven by strong consumer demand and some supply shocks.

“In the fourth quarter of 2021, beef retail prices in the United States were 23% higher than the five-year average and in China, they were 24% above the five-year average,” it says.

Much of this increase in prices has been caused by 'demand pull', Rabobank senior animal protein analyst Angus Gidley-Baird said.  This was driven by increased consumer appetite for beef due to factors including lockdown restrictions, additional disposable incomes from COVID stimulus packages and (in the case of China and African swine fever in pork) limitations on the availability of alternative proteins.  More...  Source:  Rabobank  |  Photo:  DPIRD

Seafood Industry Australia, the national peak-body representing Australia’s commercial fishing industry, has opened its call for speakers for the 2022 Seafood Directions Conference. Applications close Monday 4 April 2022.

The biennial national conference, to be held in Brisbane from 13 to September, provides an exciting platform for national and international speakers to share their expertise around the theme: One Voice, One Future.

The conference program will feature more than 45 informative sessions highlighting essential issues, domestic and global seafood trends, innovation and technology.  More...  Source and Image:  SD2022