Rich promise in farming futures

COUNTRY Noosa sets its sights on local, ethical and sustainable farming practices for a better Noosa.
The local group of primary producers recently held a workshop to discuss the findings of a survey which investigated the opportunities and challenges for local food and grazing systems in Noosa.
Country Noosa Beef and Local Food Systems Project consultant Brian Stockwell said his research suggests there was a bright future for local producers who could supply quality product to local buyers and markets.
“Consumers would place high importance on a brand if it showed the product was accredited to meet animal welfare, sustainable agriculture, organic and or low chemical grass fed beef standards” Dr Stockwell said.
The report said animal welfare was a high priority with the vast majority of respondents expressing very strong concerns about poultry raised in cages, calves and pigs raised in pens and intensive meat chicken farming.
The research also involved an economic analysis of potential future scenarios for the grazing industry in the Noosa District.
“The cost-benefit analysis identified two scenarios that had the potential to put another $7 million in graziers’ hip pockets over the next 10 years. Conservatively this would add about $14 million to the local economy,” Dr Stockwell said.
Country Noosa president Dick Barnes said Noosa already had what the consumers wanted and expanding on this was the key to success.
“It was great to see that the surveyed graziers were largely producing a product that the consumer would like more of,” he said.
“Now the challenge is to get the whole supply chain working together to get more fresh local produce to local consumers.”
The report said interviews with local wholesale fruit and vegetable and meat buyers as well as local butchers identified numerous opportunities for increasing local supply of fruit and vegetable and meat for wholesale and retail sale.
“Unmet demand coupled with spare capacity within local and regional processing enterprises and storage facilities suggests there is ample opportunity for growth,” Mr Barnes said.
The Country Noosa committee will now consider the priorities discussed in the workshop with advocating for planning and policy settings that support sustainable local farming and reduce the bureaucratic hurdles for small start-up mixed-farming enterprises a top priority.