Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Julie Collins has announced the first live sheep export transition grants.

APPLICATIONS for the first Albanese Government supply chain grants in the $139.7 million live sheep transition package opened today.

The Albanese Labor Government today said it is opening $2 million worth of grants to enhance market demand within Australia and internationally for Australian sheep products.

Today’s announcement comes a Senate Estimates hearing on Tuesday was told that Western Australian sheep producers will not receive any support from the Albanese Government’s transition package before July 2025. The Budget Supplementary Estimates hearing of the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee was also told that the first monies to be disbursed in the government’s $139.7 million transition plan — $900,000 – has been spent on departmental administrative costs, with no expenditure on transition grants.

Applications for Round 1 of the Enhancing Market Demand Grants Program will be accepted from peak industry bodies, rural research and development corporations, consultants specialising in fields such as agriculture, economics, markets or trade, and research providers. Applications for the program will close at 9pm AEDT on Thursday, 19 December 2024.

In response to a question on when the Enhancing Market Demand Grants Program money will be on the ground, Assistant Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Anthony Chisholm told the Senates Estimates hearing on Tuesday that the expectation for that is “in coming weeks.”

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Julie Collins said the grants are the first of many upcoming initiatives that will allow industry to capitalise on opportunities as they transition away from live sheep exports by sea.

“Diversifying trade and expanding customer demand will assist Australian sheep producers, providing confidence and opportunities for growth.

“The Albanese Labor Government will continue to back our sheep industry which is a proud and important part of our agricultural sector,” she said.

The government said the grants will assist the Australian sheep industry and broader supply chain to phase out live sheep exports by sea. The program will help maintain and develop interstate and overseas markets for Australian sheep products, and markets for Australian agri-food in the Middle East and North Africa region, it said.

The Enhancing Market Demand Grants Program program is aimed at projects that:

• demonstrate broad support across relevant industry stakeholders and demonstrate application or benefit across industries nationally
• provide research and analysis products (for example, market and consumer analyses)
• strengthen business relationships for the benefit of the Australian sheep industry or Australian agriculture and food industries nationally.

The government said the grants are the first of several initiatives aimed at assisting West Australian sheep farmers and those associated with the industry as they transition from live sheep exports by sea.

These grants will benefit industry by helping explore new markets and growing opportunities for sheep meat, the government said.

More information about this and other programs under the $139.7 million transition assistance package can be found in the Transition Plan Implementation Approach on www.agriculture.gov.au/live-sheep-phase-out