The winners of The Eleventh Annual South Australian Premier's Food Awards were announced at a 'green' themed gala dinner on Friday 14 November 2008. Premier Mike Rann says South Australian food producers are leading the way by promoting healthy choices, organic produce and sustainable farming. In announcing the winners of the 11th annual awards, the Premier said it was outstanding that more than half of the winners having a strong connection to the environment and the production of clean, green produce. The nine Award winners include a producer with a focus on biodynamic farming, one who is developing strategies to help farmers cope better with drought and another has introduced a new range of healthy fruit snacks for school children. The winners are Dr George Ujvary of Olga's Fine Foods, B.-d. Farm Paris Creek, AgriExchange, Almondco, Robern Menz, Humbugz Honey, Adelaide Showground Farmers Market, Tutto Pasta, Richard Gunner's Fine Meats along with Hall of Fame inductee, Drake Supermarkets.
Sue Rogers
p: +61 8 8226 0468
e: pirsa.safoodawards@saugov.sa.gov.au
w: www.safoodawards.com.au
The latest SA Food ScoreCard 2007-08 has just been released and shows that gross food revenue has reached a record $11.5 billion. The growth of the SA food industry accelerated significantly across all the major performance aggregates, particularly driven by a significant rebound in the field crop sector, resulting in a boost to overseas and interstate commodity exports. Highlights of the SA Food ScoreCard value chain performance over 2007/08 include:
Read the full SA Food ScoreCard 2007-08 report (html)
Rob Esvelt
PIRSA Corporate Strategy and Policy
p +61 8 8226 0475
e esvelt.rob@saugov.sa.gov.au
The strong global trend toward pre-packaged fresh and ‘ready to eat’ fish and seafood meals retailed in delis and supermarkets is taking the seafood market to the next level, according to Bernard Leveau from the international packaging and equipment company, Multivac. Mr Leveau from France was a keynote speaker at the Latest Trends in Food Packaging workshop presented by the Australian Seafood CRC, held in conjunction with the SA Food Centre on Tuesday 2 December 2008. Around 50 seafood industry producers, processors and wholesalers heard how new packaging technologies can significantly reduce spoilage, improve hygiene, extend shelf life, conserve colour and flavour, offer greater storage and marketing options, and return premium prices. Mr Leveau said people, particularly in the European and US markets and more lately in Australia, were increasingly turning to easy, ready to eat and cook meals, and seafood was favored for its health benefits. Emeritus Professor Harry Lovell of the Australian Institute of Packaging, discussed the move toward natural anti-oxidants to reduce micro-organisms during packaging, new methods to reassure consumers about product freshness, and a ‘smart’ microwave that reads product barcodes to calculate precise cooking times. Professor Lovell highlighted the market differential of packaging that is easy to open, and the emerging need to service the small and single family market which wants smaller packaged options.
Emily Downes
Australian Seafood CRC
p +61 1300 732 213
e emily.downes@seafoodcrc.com
A range of case studies to inspire food businesses have been developed by the South Australian Food Centre. The case studies showcase successful South Australian value chains and have been developed as part of Professor Andrew Fearne’s ‘Thinker in Residence’ program. Andrew says case studies are an effective way to inspire businesses that are considering alternative business models and need practical insights into the key success factors. Seven case studies have just been released highlighting the benefits of applying value chain principles to businesses, large and small and across a range of industry sectors and market segments. The case studies include ABB Grain Ltd, Almondco, Barossa Fine Foods, Foodbank SA, Kinkawooka Shellfish, Maggie Beer Products and Richard Gunner’s Fine Meats.
SA Food Centre
p +61 8 8348 4095
e safoodcentre@saugov.sa.gov.au
w www.safoodcentre.com.au
Food Adelaide is organising the South Australian stand at one of the largest global food and wine tradeshow in Asia. HOFEX from 6 to 9 May 2009 is an international tradeshow in Hong Kong and provides the perfect platform to meet key industry participants, plus over 29 000 visitors from more than 58 countries. As part of the Food Adelaide stand your business would be located as part of the Australian Pavilion in the International Hall, which attracts a large number of customers from the region.
Clare Bagshaw
Food Adelaide
p +61 8 8300 0022
e clareb@business-sa.com
After the success of the recent World Food Exchange, the South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC) announced a Food and Wine Tourism Development Fund. Food and wine experiences which put South Australia on the map may be eligible for the $500k funds which is available over two years. The fund will help food, wine and tourism operators develop the necessary capability to attract culinary tourists to the state. It is aimed at businesses that intend to invest in infrastructure projects to develop or improve their tourist offering. A range of criteria has been established and is available at www.tourism.sa.gov.au
Nick Jones
SATC
p +61 8 8463 4611
e nick.jones@tourism.sa.com
The Cape Jaffa Seafood and Wine Festival is being held in the Limestone Coast on 11 January 2009 from 11am to 4pm. Situated between Kingston and Robe, Cape Jaffa is a tiny fishing hamlet, with the festival held on the foreshore and showcasing the fine wine and food from the area. Visitors can spend the day dining on local oysters, trout, prawns, lobster, lamb, beef and emu, washed down with some of Mount Benson’s finest wines. Sit back and be entertained with Jazz music, with children being well catered for with activities such as face painting and sandcastle competitions. Only four hours from Adelaide and with great weather and fun for wine and food lovers of all ages, the Cape Jaffa Seafood and Wine Festival is a must do trip and well worth the drive.
Visit www.capejaffafest.com.au
The Middle East region’s largest food, drink and foodservice exhibition, Gulfood is on again 23 to 26 February 2009. Last year 39,000 trade only attendees and more than 2,500 businesses exhibited. The South Australian stand received between 80 and 150 quality contacts and business inquiries in one sector totaled 62 buyer follow ups. The UAE has two distinct markets - local and re-export. The local UAE market is relatively small but has over 10 million tourists per year. Dubai is traditionally a major re-export market especially to Iran, Africa and other neighbouring countries. Products with high export potential include prepared beverage bases, processed fruits and vegetables, poultry meat, snack foods, dairy products, sauces, fresh fruits, red meats, pulses, cheeses and juices.
Ceejay Haymen
Government of South Australia
p +971 4 343 2884
e sagovtme@eim.ae
FREE Eyre Limited (FREE Eyre) recently won the 2008 SA Great Eyre Peninsula Regional Award for Innovation. The Award recognises the business model FREE Eyre has developed to bring producers together to develop business strategies and value added projects. The concept of FREE Eyre began out of adversity and from a desire to take control by a dedicated group of Eyre Peninsula people. FREE Eyre’s approach is to research, develop and set up new businesses by developing value adding enterprises, managing profits and reducing costs along the value chain for Eyre Peninsula farming businesses. Around 370 farming enterprises (and growing) are now involved along with Eyre investors. The first of the joint venture companies developed is EP Grain and Eyre Peninsula based grain marketing company. In progress of being set up is the EP Carbon company dealing with carbon offsets and biomass as well as EP Sheep meat with research and development being carried out in conjunction with Meat and Livestock Australia and PIRSA.
FREE Eyre
p +61 8 8363 5010
m +429 100 464
w www.free-eyre.com.au