Agribusiness and foodRegional NSW has a reputation for safe, high-quality food products. We can

also provide the opportunity for innovative businesses to capitalise onoptimal growing conditions.

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Regional NSW is a significant producer of agricultural commodities and value-added food and beverage products, due to its highly productive farmland anddiverse growing conditions.

The agribusiness and food sector in Regional NSW contributes A$17.2 billion to the state economy.

NSW’s agricultural sector (excluding food) is worth A$13.1 billion a year and employs 76,000 people.

The agrifood industry plays a key role in Regional NSW with around 40% of food processing businesses located in regionalareas.

There are 29,000 food and beverage manufacturing jobs in Regional NSW. 81% of NSW land mass is used for agriculture. NSWproduces 52 kilotons of rice, 755 kilotons of cotton lint and seed, and 4,750 kilotons of wheat.

Regional NSW supplies agricultural commodities, food and beverages to the world’s largest and growing consumer markets inAsia, the Pacific Rim and Europe. Its counter-seasonality makes it an ideal supplier of fresh produce during the winter months inthe northern hemisphere.

A global leader in a growing market

Regional NSW has a workforce experienced in agricultural production and processing, and established agribusiness transport,distribution and logistics infrastructure.

Australia’s excellent access to growing international markets through its Free Trade Agreements network ensures continueddemand, driving future growth and expansion.

The Australian agriculture industry is estimated to require A$109.2 billion of overseas investment by 2025 to maintain itscurrent share of world exports. Successful investment models include joint ventures and share farming, with local producersallied to overseas participants in the supply chain.

Main markets for Regional NSW's agricultural exports

Source: NSW Primary Industry Exports 2018-19, ‘NSW Primary Industries – Performance, Data and Insights 2019’, NSW Government,December 2019

Image credit: Department of Primary Industries

Regional NSW enjoys a diverse climate and geography which produces a widerange of goods:

Which commodities are produced in Regional NSW?

Primary crops such as nuts, berries, other horticulture, grains, cotton, oilseeds and pulses⟩

Primary livestock, particularly sheep, beef cattle, goats and poultry⟩

Aquaculture, fishing and seaweed farming⟩

Livestock product manufacturing⟩

Processed food, olive oil and dairy⟩

Beverage manufacturing, especially craft beer and spirits.⟩

Estimated Primary Industries Output 2018-19

Source: NSW Primary Industry Exports 2018-19, ‘NSW Primary Industries – Performance, Data and Insights 2019’, NSW Government,December 2019

Image credit: Destination NSW

Australia and NSW enjoy an international reputation for high food safetystandards and clean, safe foods.

The NSW Food Authority administers a fully-integrated food safety system. Sound quarantine and environmental practicesused throughout NSW keep production free from pests, diseases and contaminants.

An international reputation for food safety

Image credit: The Graham Centre

World-leading technology hubs and research facilities across NSW bringtogether industry, academia and government to commercialise new andinnovative products and processes.

The NSW Government committed A$1.8 billion since 2015 to ensure NSW farmers and primary industries are supported todeliver through current drought conditions and future growth when situations improve in time.

The 2019-20 NSW Budget invests A$47 million over three years to boost agricultural productivity and support world class foodand fibre production through upgrading the Department of Primary Industries’ (DPI) research stations across NSW.

DPI is the largest agricultural R&D provider in Australia with expertise of over 600 researchers, and access to 25 researchstations and 13,000 hectares of trial farms. NSW DPI scientists have been ranked in the top 1% of world research institutions inagricultural science and in plant and animal science.

In 2015, the DPI set an ambitious goal to achieve a 30% increase in the gross value of production of NSW primary industries by2020. This ambitious target was reached two years ahead of schedule. In 2018/19 the NSW primary industries sector was wortha record A$11.9 billion.

Working together to create new opportunities

Investors in Regional NSW can also benefit from a number of agriculture and food innovation precincts including:

Wagga Wagga’s agricultural technology hub which involves Agrifutures Australia, the Graham Centre and CharlesSturt University.

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Orange’s Global Agri-Tech Ecosystem (GATE) which offers access to DPI expertise and networks as the largestagricultural R&D provider in Australia. GATE is an end-to-end ecosystem for project development from ideation,incubation, acceleration to investor funding and commercialisation. GATE has a cornerstone partnership withSparkLabsCultiv8 linked to Asia's premier accelerator SparkLabs in South Korea.

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Central Coast Food Alliance joins The University of Newcastle and key industry players to collaborate on researchprojects relevant to the food and beverage industry.

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Cropping

The estimated combined output of NSW broadacre cropping industries was A$2,498 million.⟩The summer cropping season commenced under a wide range of on-ground conditions. Drought conditions intensified,particularly to the west of the state.

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Source: NSW Primary Industry Exports 2018-19, ‘NSW Primary Industries – Performance, Data and Insights 2019’⟩

Livestock

The estimated combined Output of NSW meat and livestock products was $6,733 million, up 4% year-on-year.⟩Output for livestock (meat) was $4,671 million, up 7% year-on-year, with beef cattle the main contributor by value.⟩Livestock products Output (milk, eggs and wool) was $2,062 million, down 3% year-on-year, with the main contributorby value being wool.

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Source: NSW Primary Industry Exports 2018-19, ‘NSW Primary Industries – Performance, Data and Insights 2019’⟩

Dairy

A sophisticated processed food industry adds value to livestock and dairy produce. NSW is Australia’s second largestproducer of dairy products, producing 1.1 billion litres of milk in 2017/18.

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Its range of climatic conditions is wider than any other Australian dairy region and is a distinct advantage, guaranteeingmilk supply during extreme weather.

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In NSW, as raw milk production fell, processors competed more aggressively for supply, resulting in an estimated 9.7%rise in farmgate milk prices to 55.3 cents per litre during 2018–19.

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NSW has strong regulatory standards.

This ensures food and produce of very high quality, which is valued in Asian markets.

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is building a state-of-the-art agricultural researchfacility near Boorowa in the NSW South East and Tablelands region. The Australian Government has also invested in the Foodand Agribusiness Growth Centre (Food Innovation Australia Ltd), which supports collaboration and innovation to grow the shareof Australian food in the global marketplace.

Aquaculture and fishing

Regional NSW has a healthy aquaculture and fishing sector, with opportunities for export as well as servicing thedomestic market.

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DPI analysis estimated the value of the fishing industry during 2018-19 at $181.3 million.⟩The aquaculture sector continued to grow, up by an estimated 2.1%, complimented by an increase in the wild harvestsector of an estimated 2% year-on-year.

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Food product manufacturing

Regional NSW is recognised as an advanced producer of high-quality food products.⟩Around 40% of food processing businesses in NSW are located in regional areas.⟩A growing middle class in the Asia-Pacific region provides exciting export growth potential in addition to supplying thedomestic market. The food and beverage manufacturing sector contributed A$30.1 billion in sales and service income in2016-17.

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Wine and beverage manufacturing

Regional NSW produces some of the world’s best wines and a variety of other alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages,particularly in the Central Coast, Central West and Orana, Hunter, Riverina-Murray, and South East and Tablelandsregions.

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The wine industry contributes A$1.6 billion to the NSW economy.⟩

Government support for agribusiness in Regional NSW

Ian Smith

Director, NSW Office of Regional Economic Development

Office contacts

Suite 1, Level 147-59 Wingewarra StreetDUBBO NSW 2830

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