Traceability in Victoria’s renowned agriculture sector will be taken to the next level through a record investment in the Victorian Budget 2021/22.
A total of $11.7 million will be allocated to modernise agriculture traceability systems, which will reinforce Victoria’s world-class agriculture sector, and protect the long-term security of farmers by bolstering response systems in the event of biosecurity threats.
Sensors are currently used at Ellinbank SmartFarm to provide traceable data on each dairy cow’s welfare, as well as the quality of the milk produced and its origin.
This is one of many ways traceability systems allow the customer to see the ‘paddock to plate’ journey through all stages of production, processing and distribution.
In a citrus industry traceability pilot supported by the Victorian Government, unique codes on stickers were applied to oranges in Mildura. Once scanned along the global supply chain, these codes confirm Victorian orange’s are bona fide.
The Victorian Government’s new investment will build on projects like these, with digitalised and interoperable systems.
In the year to November 2020, there were around 197,000 people employed in Victoria’s food and fibre production and manufacturing sectors – 89,000 in production and 108,000 in manufacturing.
These traceability systems will underpin Victoria's reputation across the globe as a producer of quality food and fibre products.
Improved traceability is an emerging capability in the food supply chain that provides assurances to trading partners and consumers about how and where their food is produced.
This new investment will be rolled out across the state with a focus on research and pilot projects, reinforcing Victoria’s 10-year Agriculture Strategy, which is working to promote and build confidence in the sector for international and domestic markets.
To explore opportunities for investing in Victoria’s agrifood industry, contact us.
