Agri-food

NSW is the leading agri-food State in Australia.

Download NSW Food & Beverage Sector Profile

Our diverse industry covers strengths in meat, dairy, fruit and vegetable products, edible oils and fats, flour milling/cereal foods, bakery products, pet food and animal feeds, soft drinks, beer, wine, and more.

Right ingredients

NSW has around 38,000 farm-based businesses and 1,400 fishing businesses as well as over 2,000 companies engaged in food processing.

Approximately 146,300 people are directly employed in the NSW agri-food industry, with 81,600 of these involved in agricultural food production, 3,200 in fishing and aquaculture, and 61,500 in food processing.

The sector generates nearly $A33 billion in annual sales and services income ($A7.6 billion from agricultural food production, $A149 million by fishing and aquaculture, and $A25.1 billion by food processing), supporting the NSW economy in terms of jobs, investment, exports, value-added, and R&D.

Clean and green reputation

As well as diversity, NSW agri-food strengths include our clean and green reputation.

Stringent quarantine policies, sound management practices and strict environmental controls allow NSW produce to be grown free of many pests and diseases found in other parts of the world.

Our fully-integrated food safety regulatory system underpins the safe supply of food to both domestic and export markets, by providing high-level, science-based food safety information and access to leading-edge expertise.

Export focused

As well as growing domestic markets, NSW’s proximity to Asia generates opportunities for agri-food exports, as well as Australia’s counter-seasonality to Northern Hemisphere markets.

Over the past decade, NSW’s agri-food exports have increased by an average of five per cent per annum. In 2008-09, they totalled around $A4.2 billion, going to major markets like Japan, the USA, New Zealand, South Korea, and the UK.

Growing appetite

Food retailing is the biggest driver of growth in the NSW retailing industry. In 2008-09, the annual turnover was valued at almost $A29 billion - 40 per cent of all retail turnover in NSW.

In 2007-08, NSW food processing companies spent $A153 million on R&D - the highest amount for any State. And more than a third of the nation’s total food-related R&D investment.