AS part of National Agriculture and Related Industries Day, which will hold its AgDay gala dinner in Perth for the first time in November, the Pastoralists and Graziers Association of WA is facilitating a panel of agribusiness leaders and policy makers to identify where the greatest growth opportunities are.
Held at Crown Perth on Thursday, November 21, the Australian Agribusiness: Global Opportunities - Local Expertise 2019 forum will provide a platform for Australian agribusiness leaders to provide their expertise to a national audience on identifying growth opportunities and showcase the nation's global profile.
Western Australian Governor Kim Beasley will officiate at the opening and will be joined by invited representatives from the Prime Minister and Premier.
A video presentation by National AgDay founder and patron Gina Rinehart will set the scene.
The theme will centre on the world's population growth and the importance of the global agribusiness industry.
With the demand for staple food and drink growing exponentially and the world's rapidly growing middle-class demanding more agricultural variety and traceability, Australia's agribusiness industry is the one sector of the economy with the strongest combination of playing most to our competitive advantages by producing what the world increasingly wants.
However the optimism over the prospects of Australian agribusiness raises the question - where within this sector do the greatest growth opportunities lie?
To explore this issue, the forum will divided into three sessions - processing, distribution and retailing, with a panel of speakers in each session followed by a 15 minute Q&A session, moderated by Business News.
Thomas Foods International (TFI) chief executive officer Darren Thomas will be a key speaker, along with Craig Mostyn Group (CMG) chief executive officer Patrick Walsh and Spud Shed owner and founder Tony Galati
TFI is Australia's biggest 100 per cent family-owned food business and supplies and distributes premium meat, seafood and fresh produce to more than 85 countries around the world.
The TFI group of companies, which includes ready to cook meals business Thomas Farms Kitchen, meat wholesaler Holco, seafood exporter Thomas Cappo Seafoods, potato producer and distributor TFI Fresh Produce and retail label Thomas Farms meat generates an annual turnover in excess of $2 billion and employs more than 3000 people globally.
Mr Thomas will be sharing what TFI sees as the leading opportunities for growth in the food production and delivery supply chain, including new products, developing global markets, technological advances and breakthroughs in distribution and supply channels.
CMG is one of Australia's leading diversified food and agribusiness companies servicing customers and suppliers domestically and overseas.
Operating across Australia from state-of-the-art processing facilities in WA, Victoria and Tasmania, CMG produces fresh pork, seafood, protein meal and tallow to be distributed to food service, retail and wholesale clients.
In 2017, CMG bought one of WA's largest meat processors, V&V Walsh, to create a commercial platform giving it access to Asia, Europe and the Middle East for more than 1.4 million processed animals a year.
Mr Walsh will be sharing what CMG sees as the leading opportunities for growth in the processing industry, including developing markets, technological advances and increased quality control.
He will also elaborate on some of the potential detriments that the industry is facing, including African swine fever and animal rights activists.
Spud Shed is a WA-based independent supermarket chain.
With its beginnings in 1998 as a farmers market in Baldivis, the Spud Shed has grown under Mr Galati's stewardship to a total of 14 stores in the metropolitan area, competing directly against Woolworths, Coles, Aldi, and IGA.
Mr Galati also became a household name for his protracted battles against the Potato Marketing Corporation, and the removal of the quota system.
He will be sharing what he sees as the leading opportunities for growth in the food retailing sector including providing insight into Spud Shed's phenomenal expansion from a small shed on the Baldivis farm to 14 stores offering a large range of fresh produce together with a full meat, dairy and grocery offer.
Mr Galati will answer questions about the deregulation of the potato industry, as well as the new push to create a new potato export co-operative.
Other guest speakers include CBH Group general manager marketing and trading Jason Craig and Premium Grains director John Orr.
The forum will close with an afternoon tea networking session attended by Ms Rinehart.
Registrations to attend the Australian Agribusiness: Global Opportunities Local Expertise forum can be made through Trybooking using the link trybooking.com/571233
As the Ag Day Gala dinner is a sold-out event, it is important to register as soon as possible as tickets are strictly limited.
Call the PGA during office hours if you require further assistance.
