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Food and grocery sector booming, says new report (FoodWeek Online 28 Sept '09)

A new report has confirmed that Australia's largest manufacturing industry - the food and grocery sector - continues to grow despite the global financial crisis.

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Tony Burke, released the findings in the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry's Australian Food Statistics 2008 report.

The report showed the industry supported 14,000 new jobs in 2007-08, with the strongest long-term growth in regional areas.  Compiled by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics, the statistics also showed the food and beverage sector remained Australia's largest manufacturing industry and employed around 206,000 people in 2007-08.

The Australian Food and Grocery Council chief executive, Kate Carnell, said the report confirmed Australia's $100 billion food, grocery and beverage sector, which is vital to many regional centres in Australia, had weathered the global storm better than many other industries.

The latest GDP statistics have shown that the agrifoods industry has played a major role in keeping Australia out of recession.  The ABS figures show:

• Agriculture has grown by 3 per cent between June 08 and June 09
• Food manufacturing has increased by 5.4 per cent over the same period

Carnell said the food and grocery industry offered a wide range of career opportunities across the globe from the farm-gate to corporate offices.

"This stable and resilient industry - which supplies safe, affordable and nutritious products - is something young Australians can aspire to work in and be successful," Carnell said.