Tasmania’s Agri-Food Scorecard 2016-2017 shows Tasmania recorded steady growth in the gross value of Agri-Food production to be worth $2.4 billion, with agriculture accounting for almost $1.5 billion and seafood production approaching $0.95 billion.

Minister for Primary Industries and Water Guy Barnett noted the scorecard reported berries, wool production, field crops, vegetables and salmonids all with strong growth.

“The report shows we continue to make real progress towards our targets to grow the value of Tasmania’s agriculture sector to $10 billion a year by 2050, as well as grow the value of our world class wild catch seafood and aquaculture sector,” he said.

“Notably, Tasmania also continues to cultivate far more food produce than we consume with food exports worth $604 million in 2016-17. It is clear that Tasmania continues to produce what the rest of the world wants.”

The report measures the value and final market destinations of the state’s agriculture production.

Stronger wool prices and good field crop harvests increased the value of non-food agriculture by 15.8 per cent to $0.25 billion, contributing 17 per cent of total gross value.

Seafood export markets remained firm with Salmonids being the highest value interstate trade category with increased prices lifting value.

The value of vegetables, field crops and non-food agriculture recorded good growth and the gross value of agriculture  contracted by only 1 per cent in spite of a 4.3 per cent reduction in the contribution of livestock and a 15.6 per cent fall in dairy farm gate value. 

The Eastern Market Indicator of wool prices rose by 16.2 per cent over the course of 2016-17, but not all grades of wool contributed equally. Coarser wools from cross bred sheep declined in price, fine wool (19-22 microns) rose moderately and superfine wools (18.5 microns or less) increased by over 25 per cent.