Supply Chain Council of European Union | Scceu.org
Freight

View From the Paddock: Optimism in agriculture despite disruption | Queensland Country Life

TSBE Food Leaders Australia general manager Bruce McConnel.

TSBE Food Leaders Australia general manager Bruce McConnel.

2020 has been an extraordinary year.

The COVID-19 outbreak disrupted all parts of our lives, and the early bushfires and continuing dry conditions have tested the resilience of everyone across regional and rural Australia.

Yet, through this backdrop, 2020 has been an amazing year for the agricultural sector and the entire food supply chains.

Whilst the year hasn’t been easy, with supply chain impacts to air and sea freight due to international restrictions, labour shortages and now trade battles, the agricultural sector has been a shining light and we’ve continued to see businesses invest to grow and prosper.

ABARES forecasts the gross value of Australian agricultural production to increase 7 per cent this year, to a near record $44.7 billion.

Across Queensland, we’re continuing to see agricultural businesses invest and grow, driving land prices and seedstock prices to record highs.

Locally in southern Queensland, the red meat sector is booming with feedlots like Mort & Co and Stockyard Beef now looking to expand their operations across Australia, and NH Foods, ACC and John Dee continue to upgrade and expand their plants.

Other sectors are also growing, such as horticultural processors Story Fresh opening their new processing facility and entering new markets, and Kialla Pure foods continuing to expand.

In the face of this year’s challenges we saw the agrifood sector continue to find new ways to operate – new ways of getting product to market, new ways to develop international relationships, and new ways to meet our consumer’s need for information.

Whilst these new ways of doing businesses were challenging, they will stand us in great stead for growth into 2021 and beyond.

Most satisfyingly, we saw our domestic consumers start to take ownership back of Australian food and start to see really what our agriculture sector does to ensure that we put safe, reliable, sustainable food on their plate every day.

Domestic demand growth is at record highs and is expected to remain high for the foreseeable future.

We really do commend everybody, in all aspects of the food supply chain, for how they’ve dealt with this disruption and how they’ve found ways to prosper.

We look forward to a more normal 2021 where we can go back to trying to find sustainable opportunities and new market growth and not just have to deal with disruption in our sector.

– TSBE Food Leaders Australia general manager, Bruce McConnel

Related posts

GLOBAL OVERVIEW SWEETCORN

scceu

Flexport Signs Off on Autonomous Aircraft Pre-Order from Natilus – Sourcing Journal

scceu

ABARES says horticulture to reach $12 billion for 2021-22 | Queensland Country Life

scceu