NEWS
Aquaculture is now the largest sector of the seafood industry A ustralia’s aquaculture sector is continuing on a trajectory of steady growth, but the industry has experienced disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the latest edition of ABARES’ Australian Fisheries and Aquaculture Statistics. Australia’s aquaculture sector has been steadily increasing in both value and share of gross value of fisheries production (GVP). “The GVP of the Australian aquaculture sector grew 10 per cent in 2019−20,” said ABARES executive director Dr Jared Greenville. “While total Australian fishery and aquaculture GVP in 2019–20 decreased slightly by 2 per cent to $3.15 billion, higher aquaculture GVP offset lower GVP in the wildcatch sector.”
Last year, aquaculture made up over half of the total GVP share of the Australian fisheries and aquaculture industry, up from 43 per cent in 2015–16 and 34 per cent in 2005–06. This created a 12 per cent contraction in the GVP of the wildcatch sector. “This trend isn’t limited to exports. Domestically, buyer behaviour has also changed,” Greenville said. “Australians consumed around 335,000 tonnes of seafood in 2019−20, a decrease from around 341,000 tonnes in 2017–18, including imported seafood products.” The total value of fishery and aquaculture product imports decreased by 4 per cent to $2.2 billion last year, driven mostly by decreased imports of prawns, squids and octopus. F
Australia’s aquaculture sector grew 10 per cent in 2019-2020, making it the largest in the seafood industry.
Farmfresh Fine Foods fights back on frozen imported food F
Farmfresh Fine Foods’ expansion is designed to grow the company’s capabilities to meet market demand. 6 Food&Beverage Industry News | October 2021 | www.foodmag.com.au
armfresh Fine Foods, a Bundaberg fresh food processor, will expand its facilities to enhance its production and packaging capabilities through support from the Queensland government. This project will help Farmfresh Fine Foods fight back against frozen imports and create an estimated 24 local jobs. “The Queensland government’s $175 million Jobs and Regional Growth Fund will help Farmfresh Fine Foods put the bite on frozen food imports,” said deputy premier and minister for State Development Steven Miles. “We’re supporting a $4.3 million expansion of this family-owned Bundaberg success story, making them even more competitive when pursuing national supply contracts.”
The state government’s support will accelerate the company’s project by 12 to 18 months. “The Queensland government funding means we’re ready to expand production capacity across all our products to 3,270 tonnes annually in the short term,” said Farmfresh Fine Foods general manager Andrew Gerry. “This will include a new forming, battering and fry line, which will add to the extensive range of roasted frozen products, as well as pureed and pickled vegetables. “We’re planning to hire another 24 labourers and machinery operators by our second year of expanded operations, an increase of about 45 per cent to our current workforce of 53. “This will be a very exciting new growth phase for us – and for Bundaberg and other regional growers.” F
