Premium Food and Wine Grants Program

Ms COOK (Fisher) (14:45): My question is for the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries. Minister, how is the state government supporting food, wine and beverage businesses in South Australia, and can you highlight some local businesses which are experiencing growth in the industry?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL (Mawson—Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Tourism, Minister for Recreation and Sport, Minister for Racing) (14:45): I thank the member for Fisher for the question. Of course, one of our government's key economic drivers is the premium food and wine from our clean environment exported to the world. It's terrific to see so many companies and so many primary producers doing so well in South Australia in an industry that is now worth $17.1 billion a year to the South Australian economy.

Last week I was with the member for Flinders and the member for Hammond. We were over at Minnipa for the celebrations of the centenary of the Minnipa Agricultural Centre and also the field day. It was terrific to meet up with some local farmers, including the former member for Stuart, Graham Gunn. When I asked him how his crops were going, 'Never better,' was his reply. So, we are hoping for some good finishing rains through spring to make sure that we have another season above that 10-year average. When we look at the carpet here, and we see the wheat and grapes in it, we are reminded that right since 1836, when European settlement happened in South Australia, we have been so highly dependent on our primary producers and the agriculture and food and wine sectors.

I'm pleased to announce today that round 2 of the Building South Australia's Premium Food and Wine Credentials Grant Program is now open. People may remember that in round 1 we put this out to fishery and aquaculture industries to make sure that operators and businesses could go and get the sort of international tick of approval that is offered up by organisations such as the Marine Stewardship Council and also the Aquaculture Stewardship Council as well. These are the endorsements that are recognised around the world.

While we know that we have fantastic produce here, some of the cleanest produce from any soils or oceans anywhere in the world, and we know that we're the only mainland state in Australia that's fruit fly free, that's phylloxera free, where it is illegal to grow genetically modified crops, we are out there in a competitive environment on the world stage. When we talk about being clean and green, there's a lot of other people, maybe not with credentials that we have, espousing the same sort of virtues. So, we need to make sure that we get as many companies as we can to get the certification that will help them in those international markets.

Recently I visited some great food manufacturing companies, including B.-d. Farm Paris Creek, where Ulli and Helmut Spranz established B.-d. Farm Paris Creek in 1988. They have fantastic yoghurts, milk, quark, cheese and butter. The facilities were extended in 2007. I was glad to see the plans that they have for a further extension of their business. Their produce is available in every major supermarket chain in Australia. Their produce is also exported to Singapore, Dubai, Hong Kong, Brunei and Fiji. They employ about 48 full-time equivalent staff and they are looking to put on more staff as well in the next 12 months, so that's terrific.

That same day, I went down to the Laucke Flour Mills, and caught up with Mark Laucke, who is the managing director of Laucke Flour Mills in Strathalbyn. Again, it is a great South Australian company with a really strong interest. I caught up with Mark over in China, and he's doing a terrific job over there. He's a huge supporter of South Australia's GM free position and is passionate about food safety and nutrition.

I also went to Vale Brewing, makers of Vale/Ale and many other great beers as well as cider, and they are growing as well. They have some fantastic expansion plans, including a high-speed bottling line and a canning facility to really increase the amount of beer and cider that is produced here as well.