The food and grocery sector in western Sydney is “booming” according to research released today.
The Daily Telegraph reports that an Ernst & Young report for the Australian Food and Grocery Council shows that the sector represents 33 per cent of manufacturing jobs in the region. The report studied 14 Local Government Areas and found manufacturing employed 103,000 in western Sydney.
“Western Sydney is Australia’s largest manufacturing region with manufacturing companies generating about $13.5 billion annually,” Gary Dawson, chief executive of the AFGC, told the Telegraph.
“This research confirms just how important the food and grocery manufacturing sector is for future local jobs and growth.”
The food and beverage sector in Australia is growing strongly, and has been assisted by the depreciation of the Australian dollar (which was trading at 73.37 US cents at 8:30 am AEDT).
In October, the AFGC released its annual State of The Industry report, which found a “spectacular” surge in export trade and an additional 3,183 employees hired during the year.