Food industry created 14,000 new jobs
New jobs in the food industry, including agriculture and fisheries production, export and processing, totalled 14,000 according to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry’s Australian Food Statistics 2008 report compiled by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics.
The report showed an increase in positions in regional areas, and growth in dairy and bakery products as well as increases in the meat and fruit and vegetable processing sectors. Australia’s food and beverage industry is the largest in the manufacturing sector, employing more than 200,000 people.
Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Tony Burke today welcomed the findings, and said our farmers were continuing to feed Australia and the world, despite challenges such as the drought and higher input costs: “This report reinforces Australia’s role as one of the food production hubs of the world.”
The report showed that in 2007/08 Australia’s food exports were worth $23.4 billion.
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