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Are you in the Western Australian sheep industry and looking at a capital works project? Round 2 of the $40 million Supply Chain Capacity Program is now open to WA sheep producers and supply chain businesses!
The first round of the Supply Chain Capacity Program grants, valued at $20 million, are set to flow to Western Australian sheep producers and processors to bolster capital investment and build productivity.
The program forms part of the Australian Government's $139.8 million Sheep Industry Transition Assistance Package, which is designed to assist as businesses adjust to the phase out of live sheep exports by sea.
The Round 1 grants have been awarded to 40 producers to support investment into on-farm finishing systems and to five processors for capacity building, including lairage upgrades, cold storage enhancements, and abattoir expansion.
The successful projects span the Wheatbelt, South West, Great Southern, and Esperance-Goldfields regions.
Producer projects include strengthening production capacity and improving market readiness with new and upgraded feedlots, paddock finishing infrastructure, and other improvements designed to enhance supply chain reliability, strengthen flexibility, and support more consistent livestock supply to processors across the State.
The second round of grants is now open for applications and will close on 24 April 2026. More information about the program and application eligibility is available on the DPIRD website.
Source and image: WA Gov
The Australian Government is backing the development of a National Vineyard Register – a major Wine Australia project that will support a more sustainable future for Australia’s wine and grape industry.
Funded through the Government’s Grape and Wine Sector Long-term Viability Support Package, the National Vineyard Register is a key initiative being delivered to strengthen long-term planning and decision-making across the sector.
Wine Australia has engaged Map of Ag Australia to undertake the design and build of the National Vineyard Register’s digital platform, which will include input from industry, and is expected to be operational by the end of 2026.
The Register will provide detailed information on Australia’s vineyard plantings and varietal composition across the country, creating a trusted national source of data for industry and enabling growers and wine makers to better understand what vines are in the ground and where.
Over time, this improved visibility will support more informed decision-making and help better balance supply and demand across the wine sector.
The Register delivers one of the key recommendations of the Viticulture and Wine Sector Working Group, established by Australia’s Agriculture Ministers in 2024 to address the national red wine oversupply and other challenges impacting the long-term viability of the wine and grape sector.
More information about the National Vineyard Register can be found at: National Vineyard Register | Wine Australia
Source: Wine Australia
Australian agriculture is often described in terms of GDP or farm‑gate value, but we know its impact runs far deeper. In this upcoming webinar, we’ll introduce a new discussion paper, Blueprinting agriculture’s role in the Australian economy, which explores the broader economic, social and regional contributions of our sector.
Hosted by Australian Farm Institute’s Katie McRobert and Kristy Barber, alongside AgriFutures’ Simon Vincent, the session will unpack fresh ways to understand agriculture’s economic footprint. Together, they’ll look at how a more holistic view can shape better policy supporting productivity, regional development, resilience and sustainability.
We’ll also invite participants to reflect on key questions:
- How could a broader perspective influence smarter, more practical policy design?
- What’s the best way to decide which activities to include, so we balance rigour with real‑world relevance?
- Which metrics genuinely help us track progress across the themes that matter?
Your insights will help shape the next stage of the work. By sharing your experiences and perspectives, you’ll help ensure agriculture’s full value is recognised in decisions, investments and national conversations.
Date and Time
- Friday, 6 March at 8:00 AM AWST
- Register now
Source and image: AgriFutures Australia
In Japan, convenience stores are not a last-minute shopping solution. They are an integral part of daily life. With over 55,000 outlets nationwide, the convenience store channel plays a central role in how consumers eat, drink and shop, often multiple times a day. For export-ready food and beverage brands considering market entry into Japan, this creates a compelling opportunity. It is also one of the most demanding retail environments globally. Winning shelf space in Japan’s convenience stores requires a clear understanding of buyer psychology, effective retail storytelling, and disciplined brand differentiation, supported by the right distributor and wholesale partners.
A successful market entry strategy for Japan’s convenience channel must be built specifically for this environment, rather than adapted from other retail formats or markets.
Convenience Stores as a Daily Consumption Channel
Japan’s leading convenience retailers, including 7-Eleven, Lawson and FamilyMart, operate at the intersection of necessity and discovery. Consumers rely on these stores for breakfast, lunch, snacks, beverages and evening meals, as well as functional and premium impulse purchases. This frequency drives high expectations around freshness, quality and relevance.
From a brand perspective, convenience stores are not simply small supermarkets. They are tightly curated environments where space is limited and product rotation is constant. New products are expected to earn their place quickly, supported by clear consumption occasions and strong initial performance. For brands approaching new market entry, convenience stores often represent the first real test of product-market fit in Japan.
Buyer Psychology and Retail Storytelling
In the context of Asia market entry, Japan stands out for its sophistication and buyer expectations. It is often viewed as both a proving ground and a reference market for broader regional expansion. As a result, buyers expect a high standard of preparation and local relevance.
This is where retail storytelling becomes critical. Brands must be able to explain not just what the product is, but why it belongs in convenience, how it will be consumed, and what makes it relevant to Japanese consumers. Messaging needs to be concise, credible and immediately understood, particularly at shelf. Retail storytelling is not a creative exercise alone, but a core pillar of effective market entry strategies in Japan
For export brands new to the market, generic international success stories are rarely enough. Buyers respond to locally relevant narratives supported by data, insight and a clear execution plan. Strong retail storytelling builds confidence and increases the likelihood of securing trials and ongoing range support.
Brand Differentiation, Distribution and the Role of Wholesalers
Brand differentiation underpins success in Japan’s convenience channel. Buyers expect clarity on what sets a brand apart, whether through functionality, provenance, flavour innovation or format. This differentiation must be consistently delivered across product, packaging, pricing and activation.
Equally important is understanding the fulfilment ecosystem. In Japan, wholesalers play a critical role between brands, distributors and retailers. They manage logistics, inventory flow and compliance across highly complex and time-sensitive networks. Convenience retailers rely heavily on wholesalers to ensure consistent delivery, freshness and service levels across thousands of stores.
For export brands, this means that appointing a competent distributor is only part of the equation. The distributor must also have strong wholesale relationships and experience navigating the operational demands of the convenience channel. Without this capability, even strong products can struggle to scale or maintain performance.
For many exporters, Japan’s convenience channel is not only about initial market entry, but about building a sustainable market expansion strategy that can scale over time. When brand differentiation is matched with the right distributor and wholesale partners, execution improves significantly and the path to winning shelf space becomes far clearer.
Source and image: INCITE
The Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) released Towards 2030: A food and grocery snapshot, an assessment of the food and grocery manufacturing sector following the Sustaining Australia: Food and Grocery Manufacturing 2030 report published in 2020.
Towards 2030 reflects on the achievements and challenges experienced between 2020 and 2025, a period of major global and domestic disruption. Despite COVID-19, geopolitical tensions, inflationary pressures, and the transition to new energy and regulatory settings, the sector has continued to supply Australian households and support export markets, demonstrating exceptional resilience. The AFGC also acknowledges the ongoing contribution of retailers and wholesalers in supporting the sector’s ambitions.
AFGC Chair, Bernie Brookes said the snapshot provides a clear view of where the sector stands as it looks ahead to the remainder of the decade.
AFGC CEO, Colm Maguire, said the snapshot reaffirms the vital role the sector plays and highlights where joint action is needed.
The snapshot outlines key developments since 2020 and highlights structural challenges shaping the operating environment, including rising costs, sustained margin pressures, and persistent investment gaps that constrain long-term growth.
“This is a forward-looking contribution to the policy conversation,” Mr Maguire said. “For Australia to unlock the full potential of food and grocery manufacturing, we need to sharpen our focus on investment, productivity, and competitiveness. The foundations are strong, but continued collaboration is essential if we are to build a sector that is globally competitive, future-ready, and able to seize emerging opportunities.”
Mr Maguire said Towards 2030 will guide AFGC’s engagement with government and industry to ensure policies support domestic manufacturing, regional jobs, and a resilient, competitive food and grocery sector.
Towards 2030: A Food and Grocery Snapshot is available here.
Source and image: AFGC
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), 2026.
