Sowing seeds for a thriving Agribusiness sector

Council has identified agribusiness as a sector ripe with potential of the future of Penrith New West.

If you think of agriculture and Penrith as an industry of the past, think again. Our City’s current agricultural output is around $172 million and our proximity to the future Western Sydney International Airport and it’s 36-hour global market place represents a whole raft of new opportunities.

Penrith will provide the perfect base for investors wanting to explore innovative and space efficient growing methods – think lucrative micro herbs, vertical lettuce systems and rooftop honey production – or expand into the food processing, packaging and transport industries.

Today, some of Penrith’s agricultural produce includes:

• $44 million in eggs and poultry representing 17% of the value of eggs produced in New South Wales, including one of the largest independent egg producers in NSW,
• $13 million in mushrooms, representing 16% of the total value of mushrooms produced in New South Wales, including one mushroom grower that produces produce approximately 5.2 million tonnes of mushrooms annually
• $38 million in meat product producers, and
• $18 million of fresh vegetables

However, once the Western Sydney International Airport is operational, produce and other food products will be able to reach anywhere in the world in just 36 hours. Local fruit and vegetable growers, in particular, will have a competitive advantage in terms of the Asian market which is projected to reach 3.5 billion people by 2030.

Penrith will be the closest city centre to the future Airport, just 20 minutes by road, and connected by North South Rail from day one.

Our City is also well placed to tap into the agri-business precinct planned for the Aerotropolis, including DB Schenker’s recent commitment, and the food security research facilities that will form part of the Sydney Science Park.

In addition, Penrith is positioned between the airport and the Hawkesbury’s agricultural lands to the north and the Western Sydney University’s Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment – home to Australia’s National Vegetable Protected Cropping Centre set to play a key role in the future of Agritech.

And, as the gateway to Central West NSW, which produces 12% of the total gross value of agricultural production in NSW, worth $1.7 billion, Penrith is in a prime position to grow an increased agribusiness sector.

For investors, there will be no need to stray outside our boundaries. Penrith has 4,000 hectares of available employment land and can offer a strong existing industrial sector of manufacturing and freight and logistics industries including food manufacturers, construction and agricultural machinery and chemical and refrigeration manufacturers.

For more information on the potential to be part of a thriving Agribusiness sector take a look at the Western Sydney Aerotopolis Investors Guide.

Image: Eggs in many baskets - Penrith has a strong and varied agribusiness sector including Pirovic Family Farms which has been producing and supplying fresh eggs on a daily basis for over 47 years. Image: Pirovic Family farms website