Agribusiness

The agricultural sector, while small in employment numbers, is an important sector given the fertile land and natural attributes of the region.

The sector generates large multipliers for the broader region, with the total value of agricultural production in the Central Highlands region being in excess of $260 million per year. With increased land values, new farming techniques and water supply constraints, a trend is developing towards more boutique sectors such as canola, Chinese vegetables, grapes, organic wheat and berries.

Agricultural resources generate substantial downstream opportunities in the food manufacturing sector, this is evident with major investment in Ballarat by Masterfoods, McCains, Hakubaku and others.

The City of Ballarat, in partnership with neighbouring municipalities, established the Central Highlands Agribusiness Forum (CHAF) in March 2005. The forum brings together stakeholders from within the agribusiness sector to discuss issues, develop projects and investigate opportunities within the region for business and industry development.

This collaborative approach not only offers support to individual businesses through difficult and challenging times but also provides a measure of guarantee for the long-term viability and sustainability of the agribusiness sector.

The key opportunities identified for this sector include diversification to less water intensive but high yield crops and development of bioenergy plants in the local area.