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Business, industry and trade

Overview

South Australia has an international reputation for quality food products. Opportunities are growing for trade with China, India, the United States and South-East Asia.

On this page:

South Australia's signature produce
Why food is vital to local economy
Evaluating the food industry

South Australia's signature produce

South Australia produces a wide range of food but is best known for the extremely high quality of certain signature products.

Seafood - premium shellfish and scale fish, Southern Rock lobster, tuna, prawns, abalone and oysters.
Fruit and vegetables - export quality produce ranging from oranges, stone fruits, pome fruits and almonds, to potatoes, onions and other intensive crops.
Poultry, meat and game - including lamb, beef, chicken, kangaroo and emu.
Dairy - fresh and long-life milk at world competitive prices and processed products including cheeses, ice cream and desserts.
Wines and beverages - including premium red and white wines, and artisan beers.
Cereals and pulses - premium milled grains, maltings and pasta.
Oils and condiments - world-class olive oil and gourmet condiments.
Confectionery - hand-crafted chocolates and bulk chocolate and confectionery lines.

Why food is vital to the local economy

According to the SA Food ScoreCard - developed by the Department of Primary Industries and Regions SA - the South Australian food industry currently contributes $13.7 billion to the State's economy each year and accounts for 142,600 jobs - or 18% of the State's employed workforce.

Food products comprise approximately 31% of merchandise exports from South Australia and wine exports are a further 17%. South Australia's major export markets are Japan, USA and Hong Kong – with products such as meat, seafood, fruit and cheese on tables and kitchens worldwide.

The South Australian Food Strategy 2010-2015 underpins the future development and growth of the State's food industry. It has a vision for South Australian food to exceed the expectations of consumers around the world.

The majority of South Australian food industry businesses are small to medium operators.

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Evaluating the food industry

The SA Food ScoreCard evaluates the contribution made by the food and beverage industry to South Australia's economy - from production to consumption. It also identifies opportunities for future growth.

Read the 2010-11 SA Food ScoreCard Report on the South Australian Food Centre's website.

What does it measure?

The SA Food ScoreCard was developed in 1999 to gather baseline data to measure the food industry's achievements and track its progress.

It monitors all food and beverages, either produced or consumed in South Australia, with detailed analysis on key points along the food value chain.

Measures used to value the food industry include:

local farm production values
value-added processing
overseas and interstate trade exports
imports at both the commodity and processed level
consumption through food retail and food hospitality.

The scorecard analyses both the volume and the value of sales at each stage and also looks at economic performance indicators, such as employment and capital investment.

Sources of information used to derive the scorecard include the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE), South Australian Government agencies such as the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), industry bodies and specific key industry and regional sources.