Government must boost local manufacturing, says AFGC

The Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) has released a submission for the 2022–23 federal Budget in which it argues that the government should put its weight behind advanced food and grocery manufacturing capacity and thus reverse a trend of moving capabilities offshore.

The submission pushes for the government to expand the impact of the Modern Manufacturing Strategy (MMS) to include targeted incentives that support investment in the development of new products, sustainable packaging, advanced manufacturing and digital technologies.

It recommends tax incentives to encourage local jobs and manufacturing, increased grants from relevant streams of the MMS and putting funds aside to help set up advanced recycling plants, all of which would help boost the power of local manufacturers.

“We need to supercharge our sovereign food and grocery production capabilities with measures that support firms to invest, create jobs and develop advanced manufacturing in Australia,” said Tanya Barden, CEO of AFGC.

“Australia has the opportunity, with the right measures, to reverse a long trend of offshoring and create onshore the advanced manufacturing capabilities that are going to be essential to thrive in regional and global markets.”

The AFGC pre-Budget submission for the federal government can be viewed here.

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