The Australian Meat Processor Corporation (AMPC) welcomes the announcement by the Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, the Hon. David Littleproud MP, to review the nation’s rural innovation sector.
AMPC Chief Executive Officer, Mr Peter Rizzo, said the announcement comes at a crucial time for the red meat processing sector and red meat industry levy payers look forward to putting their views forward during the review.
“Minister Littleproud said today that ‘Nobody ever delivered anything great by focusing only on today,’ and we agree entirely. Our red meat processors have been coming together over the last twelve months to ensure that Government understand both the sustainability of the sector and our ability to maintain market share in a competitive global red meat market,” Mr Rizzo said. “This review will help to further fuel a proactive approach from the red meat sector and promote increased cross-sector collaboration to drive Australia’s rural research, innovation and technological development.”
Red meat processors are a major contributor to the underlying economic viability of the rural and regional areas they are located in. The red meat processing sector is a crucial part of Australia’s largest agricultural industry, as well as one of the largest remaining manufacturing industries in Australia. The sector generates over $23 billion in value-add to the economy, over $8 billion in household income and more than 126,000 full time equivalent (FTE) jobs with its added flow-on effects to the economy.
“Research, development and resulting innovation plays a crucial role in the long-term growth and international competitiveness of the red meat industry. This is particularly true in what has arguably been unprecedented challenging times in terms of operational costs and associated competition in key markets that our red meat sector faces,” Mr Rizzo said. “So we look forward to working with the Minister and Ernst & Young as they develop a strategic vision for the future of Australia’s rural innovation system.”
