Skip to content
home main static Home
Close this menu

Department of State Growth

Food and Agribusiness

Tasmania produces safe, high-quality and delicious food. Fertile soil and relative freedom from pests and diseases, as well as Tasmania’s counter-seasonality to the northern hemisphere provide a significant strategic advantage in food production and agriculture.

The Tasmanian food and agribusiness sector excels across a diverse range of product categories, many aimed at premium niche markets both nationally and overseas.  We are renowned for products such as dairy, red meat, aquaculture and wild fisheries, fruit and vegetables, biopharmaceuticals, wine, spirits, beer and honey.

The successes of the sector are driven by business capability and natural endowments. Tasmania’s temperate maritime climate provides a comparative advantage in a changing climate, particularly in industries such as viticulture, aquaculture and dairy farming. These strengths have been leveraged by government investment into irrigation schemes, research and extension, trade and brand promotion and investment attraction.

Case Study

A Tasmanian stand at the Food and Hotels Asia trade show in Singapore in April 2018 provided an opportunity for nine Tasmanian companies to visit the Singapore market and showcase their products to the entire Asian region.  Coordinated by the Department of State Growth’s Trade and International Relations Unit, the program included a pre trade show workshop designed to prepare companies to become exhibition ready.  This workshop provided the opportunity to understand the current food and beverage market in Singapore, and gain an understanding of retail and business trends and where Tasmanian products fit within these trends. Discussions also included ideas for further penetrating the Singapore market, following leads and general information about preparation for exhibiting in Singapore.

Several Tasmanian exhibitors reported strong leads and a high calibre of buyers visiting the Tasmanian stand at the trade show.  Outcomes look extremely promising, with companies pursuing their leads and reporting orders of honey, juice, potatoes, seafood, and preserves.

As a value-add, site visits were facilitated to a number of supermarkets in Singapore, which enabled Tasmanian companies to gain a greater understanding of product placement, competitor pricing and stock availability.

Learn more