No images? Click here
14 March 2023
Western Australian Agrifood Export eNews
Western Australian food and beverage companies have showcased their finest produce on a global stage at two major food trade events, with support from the State Government.
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, in partnership with Invest and Trade WA, led the charge last week at FOODEX Japan 2023. FOODEX is one of Asia's largest international food and beverage exhibitions, expected to attract 10,000 buyers from more than 30 countries and regions.
The trade mission brought together 22 food and beverage producers from WA under one roof, with offerings ranging from premium seafood and succulent meats to honey, truffles and award-winning wines.
Last week's mission came as WA delegates returned from Dubai-based Gulfood, the world's largest food and beverage sourcing event, featuring more than 5000 exhibitors from over 125 countries. Eighteen businesses exhibited a wide range of seafood, meat, dairy, honey, fresh produce and innovative packaged products at the WA Government organised stand.
Following Gulfood, several WA companies participated in a WA Government-led trade mission to Qatar, during which participants engaged in business-to-business meetings with Qatari food and beverage distributors, retailers and food service enterprises, gaining valuable insights on market opportunities. More...
Source: WA Minister for Agriculture and Food | Photo: DPIRD [The WA stand at FOODEX 2023 in Tokyo last week featured 20 businesses.]
Registration of interest: ThaiFex Anuga and Vietnam delegation
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) will have a Western Australian stand at ThaiFex Anuga 2023 in Bangkok, Thailand, in May. The fully-fitted premium food and beverage stand in the Fine Food Hall will provide businesses with the opportunity to display between one and three items from their product range.
DPIRD will cover the cost of the stand and a government representative to provide support for the duration of the exhibition. Participation on the stand will also provide you with: exposure to buyers from all over Asia but particularly, IndoChina; the advantages of your own stand but without the cost and stress of organising one; access to an on-site food sample preparation and serving area with cooking equipment; dedicated time slots for you to represent and provide samples of your products; your business profile in the WA exhibitor catalogue and in the Thaifex directory; and the opportunity to meet with key buyers on-site.
Being part of the WA trade delegation to Thailand from 23 to 27 May 2023 includes a range of opportunities, including: a welcome dinner for trade delegation; a market and retail tour in Bangkok; and support to arrange one-on-one business meetings.
Subject to interest, DPIRD may also organise a two-day visit to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, which will either coincide with, or immediately follow, ThaiFex Anuga.
To register your interest in participating in the WA Showcase at ThaiFex Anuga 2023 and/or a market visit to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, please complete this survey by Wednesday 22 March 2023. For further information please contact Nathalie Brooks on 0472 849 391 or email Nathalie.Brooks@dpird.wa.gov.au.
For exporters based in the South West and Great Southern regions, there is also an opportunity to participate in 2023 Australia’s Great Southern and Margaret River Fine Wine and Premium F&B Mission being held from Monday 29 May to Thursday 1 June 2023.
Source: DPIRD | Photo: ThaiFex Anuga
Wine Australia is returning to ProWein 2023 in Germany later this month, where they will have a large stand to showcase premium-quality Australian wines. WA Wines to the World – an initiative of the Wine Industry Export Growth Partnership, a $6 million project with the State Government to boost wine exports – is supporting Western Australian wines with a regional stand and masterclasses.
ProWein is Europe’s most important wine event, usually attracting around 60,000 visitors from across the world, including major buyers from Europe, United Kingdom, United States, Canada and Asia. For Australian producers the event provides invaluable access to some of the most influential people in the wine trade.
Over three days, from the 19 to 21 March, trade guests from around the world will have the opportunity to connect with Margaret River and Great Southern producers and taste the region’s wines. Attendees will also have the chance to discover the latest releases, meet with brands seeking distribution and explore new opportunities from the world-renowned wine destination.
For more details about Australian wine at ProWein, the list of wineries, floor plan and program of events, please visit the Wine Australia website, or contact Liz Mencal at liz@hydraconsulting.com.au.
Source: WA Wines to the World | Matthieu Joannon / Unsplash
Do you want to help grow the value add potential of Australia's food and agribusiness sector? Are you unsure how helping to unlock this potential aligns with larger Australian and global sustainable initiatives?
Food Innovation Australia Limited (FIAL) invites members of the food and agribusiness sector to participate in a free virtual webinar at 8am AWST tomorrow, Wednesday 15 March 2023, to discover how unlocking the sector's $200 billion potential aligns to the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Key industry professionals will discuss the $200 billion potential, its alignment to the SDGs and how we are tracking to achieve the ambition for the sector by 2030. More...
Source: FIAL | Graphic: UN
The Western Australian Government has opened a new Invest and Trade WA office in Ho Chi Minh City, in recognition of the increasing opportunities between Vietnam and Western Australia.
Deputy Premier Roger Cook opened the new office at an event in Ho Chi Minh City last week, as part of a four-day investment, trade and tourism mission to Vietnam. It marks the first ministerial visit to Vietnam since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Ho Chi Minh City office is the 12th international WA Invest and Trade office, and the third location in the ASEAN Hub. The new office is part of the expanded global invest and trade network which is being supported by the State Government's $195 million Reconnect WA package.
It builds on WA's existing commitment to Vietnam, where there has been an International Education Business Development Manager based in Hanoi since 2019. The operations of the Ho Chi Minh City office are being overseen by ASEAN Investment and Trade Commissioner Krista Dunstan, and supported by Director Duc Tran and Education Business Development Manager Thuy Vo.
Vietnam is WA's 13th largest trading partner, with $2.6 billion of goods traded in 2021-22. In 2021-22, WA exported $2.2 billion of goods to Vietnam, which was almost double the annual average of $1.2 billion over the past decade, reflecting increasing economic opportunities between the two regions. More...
Source: WA Deputy Premier / Invest and Trade WA | Photo: Lieu Cap / Unsplash [Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam]
The recent removal of COVID restrictions in China opens opportunities for Australian exporters to tap into changes in Chinese beef consumption, Rabobank says in a newly-released report.
In its First Quarter Global Beef Quarterly, the specialist agribusiness bank says 'China’s reopening' will offer business opportunities for beef exporters, but also generate volatility in the global market.
The bank expects overall Chinese household consumption will rebound strongly from the low base of 2022, and, with it, demand for beef is also expected to rise, albeit slowly. And this may support increased trade from Australia, it says, as Australian beef supply lifts and prices ease while beef production declines in the United States, a key supplier of beef to the Chinese market. More...
Source: Rabobank | Photo: Hyunwon Jang / Unsplash [Shanghai, China]
The value of Australian agricultural exports is expected to be a record at $75 billion in 2022–23, the first time exports have risen above $70 billion in nominal terms, according to the latest outlook report from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARES).
Another year of exceptionally large grain and oilseed harvests will be the main contributor to an increase in export volumes. Record volumes of wheat, barley, canola, cotton and sorghum are all expected to be exported in 2022–23.
High global commodity prices are also expected to contribute to the strong export result. While they are expected to ease somewhat from the highs of 2021–22 for some commodities – such as oilseeds and red meat – prices are forecast to remain strong through 2022–23. However, wheat prices are expected to peak in 2022–23.
Despite global freight costs falling from extraordinarily high levels in 2021–22, regional freight costs remain elevated. While the freight rate discrepancies create additional challenges for the region, Australia continues to be well-placed to export into major Asian markets, given Australia's proximity to the region. This is expected to give Australian exports a competitive advantage over many competitors outside of the region.
Expected strong demand for Australian commodities in international markets in 2023–24, including for agricultural commodities, is likely to put upward pressure on the Australian dollar exchange rate, which may reduce the competitiveness of Australian exports going forward. Nevertheless, the sector is currently capitalising on exceptional domestic production and strong global commodity prices, and is in a good position to meet these challenges. More...
Source: ABARES | Photo: DPIRD
World merchandise trade growth appears to have lost momentum in the fourth quarter of 2022 and is likely to remain weak in the first quarter of 2023, according to the latest World Trade Organisation (WTO) Goods Trade Barometer.
The overall barometer index continues to point to weakening trade growth in volume terms after falling to 92.2, down from 96.2 in the previous release and well below the baseline value of 100.
The WTO says export orders index (97.4) remains below trend but is rising, hinting at a possible upturn in the near future. On the other hand, indices for container shipping (89.3), air freight (87.8), electronic components (84.9) and raw materials (92.0) are all below trend and declining, suggesting that weakness in trade is broad-based, impacting many sectors. More...
Source: WTO | Photo: Diego Fernandez / Unsplash [Port of Los Angeles]
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), 2023.
