Agriculture Minister, Barnaby Joyce, has announced the recipients of $275,000 of Government grant funding designed to strenghten the agricultural trade relationship between Australia and China in 2014.

Currently on a five day visit to China, Minister Joyce yesterday met with his Chinese counterpart Minister Han Changfu, to discuss ways to strengthen agricultural ties between the two nations.

Minister Joyce said meeting with Minister Han was productive and they agreed to a number of cooperative projects funded through the Australia-China Agricultural Cooperation Agreement (ACACA).

He said the successful applicants of $275,000 of Australian Government grant funding were all well placed to strengthen bilateral cooperation and trade relationships for the Australian and Chinese agricultural sectors.

“Through agreements like ACACA we will continue to see our trade relationship strengthen and grow – to the mutual benefit of farmers and producers in Australia, and farmers, producers and consumers in China,” Mr Joyce said.

 Projects to receive approval for ACACA activities in 2014 are:

• Institute of Foresters of Australia – to undertake a China Australia Forestry Exchange Programme
• AgForce Queensland – to explore market options for Queensland grassfed cattle in China
• Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre (AEGIC) – to enhance the functionality of Australian oats exported to China
• Australian Seafood CRC – to ensure safe and secure seafood trade between Australia and China by assisting supply chain partners in the Australian and Chinese seafood trade to manage food safety risks
• Department of Agriculture – to co-develop China Country-specific guidelines to support Australia’s illegal logging regulations

Under the ACACA programme, Australia has also agreed to support a number of incoming Chinese delegations. For the first time, Australian industry organisations have agreed to host some of these missions.

• Australian Pork Limited will host the Jiangsu Agriculture Commission mission focussed on animal sanitary management and waste management technology.
• Meat and Livestock Australia will host the Yunnan Provincial Agriculture Department who will be studying livestock production in Australia.

The Department of Agriculture will also host three other missions for China focused on human resource management, investment and land resource management.

Source: Minister for Agriculture. For more information on ACACA and the projects it funds go to agriculture.gov.au/market-access-trade/IAC/ACACA.