Royalties for Regions investment to support sheep industry growth

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Image credit: flickr User: Giuseppe Milo

Agriculture and Food Minister Ken Baston announced the Sheep Industry Business Innovation project aimed at boosting the growth of the sheep industry in Western Australia.

Royalties for Regions investment to support sheep industry growth
Image credit: flickr User: Giuseppe Milo

The A$10 million investment is set to break ground in new markets for sheep meat and live exports in Asia and the Middle East.

The project is part of the $300 million Seizing the Opportunity in Agriculture initiative which is supported by the departments of Agriculture and Food WA, Water, Training and Workforce Development, State Development, and Regional Development.

As part of the project a new sheep business centre will be set up at the Katanning Research Facility that will serve as a hub for information, research, training and innovation in the sheep industry.

“It will play an important role in providing the science, skills and strategies to help the sheep industry improve capacity and supply chains to satisfy customer requirements for lamb, mutton and wool,” Mr Baston said in a statement.

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“This will help broaden our State’s regional economy to create new and expanded industry sectors,” said Regional Development Minister Terry Redman.

This complements the $25 million from State and Federal governments in the Katanning sheep saleyards, loans to the WA Meat Marketing Corporation, and the State Government’s SuperTowns program.

Sheep meat exports from Australia to China rose from $57 million to $446 million in the last five years to 2013-14. WA exported 1.8 million live sheep in 2013-14, worth $160 million, accounting for 88% of Australia’s total.