By Rodin Genoff *
Why would Local Government want to drive regional agendas? The short answer is that we cannot afford not to. In a global economy, regions drive local growth and prosperity. And the key to prosperity is value adding – from knowledge inputs to smart packaging.
The good news for the City of Playford, which accounts for around 40 per cent of South Australia’s vegetable output with some 1,200 growers, is that strong growth in world trade is being forecast for the food processing industry.
Locally, Playford’s growers at Virginia are meeting demand for premium produce by niche brand companies like Beerenberg, and up market Sydney supermarkets and Asian hotel chains. To build regional value adding opportunities, the City of Playford in partnership with the City of Salisbury, and the Premier’s Food for the Future program secured a Rural Plan grant from the Department of Transport and Regional Services.
The project stretches from Northern Adelaide into the Barossa, Adelaide Hills and the Riverland. After interviewing over 100 companies and stakeholders, 24 action agendas were developed resulting in the formation of new company networks and regional road infrastructure initiatives.
One of the business networks developed through the cluster process was Produce Direct Australia Pty Ltd comprising three major companies and their suppliers. This new joint venture aims to tap into Asian export markets using their combined synergies based around different premium products. In fact PDA has just returned from its first trade mission to Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia with contracts in the pipeline.
An overview of the City of Playford’s food cluster project is available through the report, Food for Thought, prepared by Rod Brown of Australian Projects Development and Playford’s Rodin Genoff. It was launched by Treasurer of South Australia Rob Lucas at Playford’s Manufacturing Prosperity Conference earlier this year.
Copies of Food for Thought are available at your local Commonwealth Bookshop.
* Rodin Genoff is Industry Strategist at the City of Playford, email Rgenoff@playford.sa.gov.au
