NSW Agriculture and Fisheries industry and jobs
Wednesday April 8, 2009
The agriculture and fisheries industry in NSW is one of the states strongest industries with a gross value production in 2004-05 of $8.6 billion with over 40,000 farms and exports of more than $4.3 billion.
This industry, like many across Sydney and greater NSW, is experiencing the impending recession with an effect on production, exports and most importantly, jobs.
However, the NSW agriculture and fisheries industry is resilient with a number of strengths that separate it from others both overseas and nationally such as:
- leading research and development facilities
- diversity of growing conditions
- counter seasonality to northern hemisphere producers
- quality clean and green produce
- proximity to major domestic and export markets
These benefits reflect in the steady jobs Sydney and greater NSW that rely on the agriculture and fisheries industry. In November 2006 there were 104,000 people employed directly in agriculture and fishing businesses with the industry also providing an excellent number of jobs Sydney and NSW downstream with food retailing (169,000), food processing (54,000), farm produce and food wholesaling (29,000), and accommodation, cafes and restaurants (164,000).
Agriculture and fisheries are major sources of jobs in both Sydney but in particular rural NSW.
The NSW agriculture and fishery industries are responsible for 80% of NSW's land use, with many jobs reliant upon its success. This success can be reflected in the export industry of NSW's agriculture and fisheries industry where agriculture accounted for 16% of the State's total merchandise exports in 2005-06.