Guy Barnett,Minister for Primary Industries and Water
Tis the season for family and feasting, and if you want the best, then buy local Tasmanian produce.
Tasmania offers world-class agriculture, horticulture, wineries and seafood right on our doorstep just waiting for you to discover.
I encourage locals and tourists alike to explore our state and discover the local growers and businesses showcasing great Tasmanian produce.
The recently launched 2019-20 Seasonal Produce Guide encourages exploration of our regions as it promotes the wide variety of the quality produce for which Tasmanian growers are renowned.
The guide supports local communities and jobs by endorsing our State’s reputation for providing fresh, high quality produce. The overall aim is to see more tasty and healthy Tasmanian seasonal food purchased from farm gates, through retail and farmers markets, at events, and on the menus of cafés and restaurants across Tasmania.
We are seeing an increasing number of visitors travelling around Tasmania, eating healthy locally grown and produced food. This increased demand includes a significant number of international tourists with a 21 per cent increase in visitation achieved in the 2017/18 year.
The Seasonal Guide forms a component of a larger campaign being undertaken state wide. The focus will be on the eating of fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables and value added products.
The farm gate value of fruit production in Tasmania increased from $97.3 million in 2014-15 to $196.7 million in 2017-18. Seasonal conditions in 2017-18 were favorable for the production of most fruits and very high yields were achieved.
The Hodgman majority Liberal Government recognises that agriculture, including horticulture, is one of Tasmania’s real competitive strengths and a key pillar of the Tasmanian economy, supporting communities, driving investment and creating real jobs across all regions.
The 2019-20 Seasonal Produce Guide is available here
