Dept of Primary industries and Regional Development graphic element

15 April 2025

Western Australian agrifood export eNews

Join us for the Vietnam insights – WA Exporters Roundtable Breakfast

Vietnam is fast becoming a key player in the agrifood and beverage global market, driven by a growing middle class, expanding culinary preferences, and a vibrant dining culture.

Join us in hearing more about this opportunity, discussing market entry strategies and learning about the export journeys from Western Australian agribusinesses who are leveraging this potential!

What to Expect:

Latest updates on Western Australia’s trade relationship with Vietnam.
Learn about challenges and tips for entering the Vietnam food and beverage market.
Hear firsthand from WA agribusinesses about their Vietnam export journeys.
Connect with other WA exporters interested in expanding their presence in the Southeast Asian market.

Featured Speaker:
Duc Tran, Investment and Trade Director, Government of Western Australia Ho Chi Minh City Office

Special Guests:
David Wong, General Manager of Brownes Dairy
Jay Albany, Chief Executive Officer at Dirty Clean Food

Event Details:

Date: Friday, 2 May 2025
Time: 07:15 to 09:30am (registrations from 7:15am)
Venue: Swan Room 1, The Ritz-Carlton Perth, 1 Barrack Street, Perth
RSVP: Space is limited! Express your interest by sending email to: export@dpird.wa.gov.au before 5pm, 28 April 2025.

Don't miss this exclusive opportunity to connect with fellow exporters and explore the vibrant Vietnam market. We look forward to seeing you there!

To deepen your understanding of the Vietnam Market in the lead up to the WA exporters roundtable, check out Austrade Trade Commissioner Hanoi Chris Morley’s Agrifood opportunities in Vietnam webinar on 16 April.

Source and image: DPIRD

HARVEST Accelerator is back again in 2025

Are you an agtech startup? A farmer who has developed new technology? A researcher looking to commercialise your innovation? Or a business looking to apply your technology in the agricultural sector?

HARVEST is designed to accelerate the growth of your innovative startup by giving you expert guidance, deep industry insights, critical tools, and strategic connections.

Applications are now open for the 2025 HARVEST program. In its eighth year, HARVEST has supported over 80 businesses, offering a program valued at over $10,000—completely free for successful applicants.

Accelerate the commercialisation of your innovation.
Connect with like-minded entrepreneurs.
Expand your industry networks.

The program includes a 2-day business bootcamp, masterclasses and webinars led by expert facilitators, a 2-day field trip, a showcase event, pitching events, and the opportunity for interstate or international delegation.

Applications are open until 5 May 2025.

Source and photo: DPIRD & AgriStart

The Australia-Korea Business Council is pleased to host the WA-Korea Business Forum again in 2025. Join us on Wednesday 14 May in Perth as we explore the evolving Australia-Korea relationship amid shifting global dynamics, and the increasing importance of sustainable and resilient partnerships.

Western Australia (WA) and South Korea have a deep-rooted economic relationship, driven by Korea's demand for energy, critical minerals, and key resources, and WA's significant supply capacity. As Korea remains WA's third-largest trading partner, this forum will provide a platform to discuss how political transitions and global economic shifts are shaping trade and investment between the two regions.

The WA-Korea Business Forum is a key opportunity for businesses, investors, and government representatives to connect, exchange ideas, and develop strategies for long-term collaboration. Don't miss this chance to engage in forward-looking discussions and position your organisation at the forefront of Australia-Korea economic engagement.

Event Details:

Date: Wednesday 14 May 2025
Start time: 3.30pm for 3.45pm start
Finish time: 6.15pm, light canapes and drinks will be served during the networking portion of the event
Location: Karingal Ballroom, Melbourne Hotel, 33 Milligan St, Perth WA 6000

Please note that registrations close COB Friday 2 May 2025 or when sold out.

Source and photo: AKBC

New farming opportunities for WA beef producers

Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) and the Western Australia Livestock Research Council (WALRC) will launch the SMARTBEEF Project to support beef producers with strategies and real-world applications.

Five producer groups from WA, each made up of 10 producers, will have the opportunity to improve their productivity and profitability through peer collaboration, data-driven decision making, and practical on-farm improvements.

All participants will receive access to myFARMSMART – a farm management and analysis software. Producers will be able to use live on-farm data to gain actionable insights.

WA’s southern beef herd faces ongoing challenges due to climate conditions and fluctuating market dynamics. Project team leader Lucy Anderton emphasises the project’s proactive approach to guiding producers towards success.

The three core pillars of the project are:

Financials – Analyse the financials to understand how the current beef business is performing.
Production systems – Explore changes to improve productivity while maintaining an efficient cost of production.
Markets – Gain a better understanding of WA’s current beef market and how meeting market specifications can improve the bottom line.

Targeting southern WA beef producers, the first producer intake will run for 18 months, from April 2025 to September 2026.

Don’t just be another spectator – register now and take your beef enterprise to the next level.

Source: MLA | Image: Syda Productions/stock.adobe.com

Australia awaits an agreement with the EU that could potentially be beneficial for the local red meat sector.

This was the topic of discussion as Australian Meat Industry Council (AMIC) general manager of trade Sam Munsie and Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) global manager for trade Andrew McCallum discussed global trade issues from a local perspective.

During the conversation that took place at the Meat Processing and Export Conference (MPEC), Munsie mentioned the advantages for Australia in an EU Free Trade Agreement, and emphasised the specific needs of the Australian red meat sector. Munsie expressed openness to solutions and further discussions.

“The Trade Minister told us last week that he is expecting a call from his European counterparts this week,” said Munsie.

“If some of the (EU) messages shift – and they are not going to come back to us with what we had last time – then great, let’s have the discussion.”

The 350 attendees at MPEC were told that the industry would collaborate with the Australian government to secure a trade agreement. This agreement with the EU could benefit the industry in the long term.

McCallum emphasised the importance of prioritising negotiations with the EU to help grow the industry.

“I’ve noticed in some of the meetings over the last couple of days, the EU were complaining about 20 per cent tariffs that Trump put on,” said McCallum.

“We’ve been paying 20 per cent tariffs on Australian beef into the EU for the last 50 years, so the EU has a long way to go to show that they are serious about doing a Free Trade Agreement with Australia.”

Source and image: AMIC

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.