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Government report shows growth in food sector

It’s certainly not all doom and gloom in Australia’s food industry, with a government report showing a 17 per cent increase in total value in 2010/11 compared to the previous period.

Food exports are up 10 per cent from the previous year, according to the Food Statistics 2020-11 report, and are now valued at $27.1 billion.

"Australia is fortunate in being a net food exporter by a significant margin, with more than half of our food production exported to international markets," federal Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig said.

In 2010/11, 1.68 million people were employed in the food sector, from production to food service.

It currently represents 15 per cent of total employment in Australia, an increase of two per cent on the previous year.

While the number of people employed in the sector is high, it is also a risky business to be working in, as Australian factories continue to close and companies are forced to restructure work forces to meet rising costs.

Only yesterday it was announced that 478 of Metcash employees will lose their jobs, most of them coming from the soon-to-be-closed Campbell’s Cash & Carry stores in regional Australia.

The Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) want a Supermarket Ombudsman instated to oversee the impact of the supermarket price wars between Coles and Woolworths, after a report predicted 130 000 employees in the sector would be out of work by 2020.

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