AGP Executive Report

Tax and affordability: A proposal to lift Australia’s GST from 10% to 15% would also remove food exemptions, prompting concern that grocery costs could rise for households already under pressure. Wine: Sydney Cellar Door returns to The Rocks on November 13–15, bringing more than 35 wineries from 16 NSW regions together for tastings. Hospitality jobs: A Canberra partnership has opened café roles and training pathways for people with disabilities, while industry groups are pushing for faster working-holiday visas to ease staff shortages. Business costs: The Australian Food and Grocery Council is calling for action on supply-chain costs as inflation climbs; one Sydney café owner says holding flat-white prices down has cost $50,000. Food trade: Australia has received its first shipment of Telangana’s GI-tagged Tandur red gram, an export milestone for the Indian pulse.

Restaurant Scrutiny: Chef and restaurateur Scott Pickett is due to face a public examination over his dealings with collapsed super fund First Guardian, including the waiver of a $13 million loan to his joint hospitality business. Food-Waste Innovation: Reencle’s new countertop machine uses heat and microbes to cut food scraps by a claimed 90% in 24 hours, offering a potential alternative to smelly kitchen scraps and FOGO bins. Tea Trade: Nilgiri estate Billimalai has launched its Avataa brand in Sydney, seeking to build an Australian market for specialty Indian teas. Hospitality Workforce: Industry groups are pushing for a fast-track working-holiday visa to ease staff shortages. Wine and Climate: Changing tastes and warmer conditions are prompting some Hunter Valley winemakers to shift production to cooler Orange, where they can grow a broader range of grapes. Beverage Recycling: WA’s Containers for Change says it has recycled 5.73 billion containers since 2020 and delivered more than $22 million to community groups.

Indigenous Drinks: Former AFL player Daniel Motlop’s Seven Seasons spirits are growing in Asia, including Japan, while bringing Larrakia culture and Top End ingredients to the business. Food Affordability: Foodbank says 3.6 million Australian households face food insecurity. Cost pressures are also squeezing hospitality: a Coogee café owner says rising expenses add $1,000 a week, even as he holds flat whites at $4.50. Farm Biosecurity: Livestock producers must now have a biosecurity plan for each property linked to their Livestock Production Assurance account when seeking accreditation or renewal.

Grocery Watch: Woolworths’ first-quarter sales rose 4.7%, with food sales up 6.9%, while Coles lost ground as shoppers chased cheaper deals and rival promotions intensified. Food Safety: Six Maria’s Pasta products were urgently recalled over fears of metal contamination. Fresh Produce: Official data shows Australians are buying more fruit but fewer vegetables; separately, Perfection Fresh admitted price-fixing on vegetables sold to Aldi. Food Innovation: UQ researchers are turning organic waste into an alternative fishmeal for aquaculture, aiming to put discarded material to work. Emergency Readiness: A UK push for households to keep three days of supplies has renewed the call for Australians to prepare, with Red Cross research finding one-third feel unconfident about what to do in a disaster.

Food Safety: Six Maria’s Pasta products and four frozen berry products have been recalled in Australia over possible metal contamination. Grocery Pressure: Coles’ sales are trailing its rival as shoppers chase cheaper deals, while the supermarket has acknowledged customers are tightening spending. Food Insecurity: New findings that one in three Australian households experienced food insecurity underline the strain on family budgets. Eating Habits: Official data shows Australians are buying more fruit but fewer vegetables. Food Innovation: University of Queensland researchers are turning organic waste into a fishmeal alternative for aquaculture, offering a potential new use for discarded food. Dining Scene: Sydney’s Good Food Guide highlights Manly’s rise as a dining destination and a strong year for Filipino restaurants.

Supermarket Pressure: Coles shares plunged 7.7% after the grocer flagged slower early second-quarter sales as bargain-hunting shoppers split their spending between retailers. What Australians Buy: ABS data shows fruit purchases rose 1.4% in 2024–25, while vegetable purchases fell 1.7% to a seven-year low. Energy drink consumption jumped 18%. Food Security: A new WA initiative will invest $345,412 over three years to improve access to affordable, healthy food in regional communities. Separately, a recent report found one in three Australian households experienced food insecurity in the past year. Food Safety: Four frozen berry products have been recalled in Australia over possible metal contamination. Supply Chain: The new Red Meat Advisory Council chair has warned the industry must address fuel and fertiliser supply vulnerabilities, even as immediate shortages ease. Drinks Industry: Australia’s liquor sector has announced its 2026 award winners, while industry leaders prepare to discuss illegal alcohol at the Retail Drinks Summit.

Hospitality & Drinks: Australia’s brewing and liquor retail sectors took the spotlight at the 2026 ALIAs. Packaging Rules: NSW has dropped mandatory reusable-cup measures after small businesses pushed back over costs and complexity. Grocery Accountability: Perfection Fresh, one of Australia’s biggest vegetable suppliers, admitted cartel conduct involving ALDI produce. Food Access: New research finds one in three Australian households experienced food insecurity in the past year, with single-parent families among those hit hardest. Retail & Exports: Woolworths’ first-quarter sales rose 4.7%, supported by strong meat demand; Gundagai Lamb won a top NSW export award, while Telangana’s GI-tagged red gram made its first shipment to Australia. Trade Tensions: Australia’s dairy sector is urging the government to reject the proposed EU trade deal, citing an unfair imbalance for local producers.

Exports & trade: Telangana’s GI-tagged Tandur red gram has made its first Australian export, with a 2.5-tonne shipment heading to market. Meat exporters warn non-tariff barriers cost the sector more than $1.5 billion a year, while high cattle prices and Indonesian price caps are squeezing live trade. Traceability: The rollout of NLIS 2.0, a key livestock tracking system, has been pushed back to late 2027. Retail & costs: Woolworths’ first-quarter sales rose 4.7%, with food sales up 6.9%; meanwhile, the food industry is pressing for action on rising supply-chain costs. Food access: One in three Australian households experienced food insecurity in the past year. Hospitality: NSW has dropped mandatory cup-reuse measures after backlash from small businesses.

Food Delivery: Serve Robotics has begun its first overseas rollout on the Gold Coast, partnering with DoorDash for robot deliveries and investing about $500,000 in Australia over the next year. Retail: Woolworths reported first-quarter sales growth of 4.7%, with food sales up 6.9%, helped by strong grocery demand and collectibles. Food Safety: Frozen chocolate-coated desserts sold at IGA, Woolworths and Harris Farm were urgently recalled; contaminated milk sold at Aldi was also recalled. Competition: Perfection Fresh admitted price fixing on vegetables sold to ALDI, putting grocery supply-chain practices under scrutiny. Trade: Australia’s dairy sector is urging the government to reject the proposed EU trade deal, warning of an unfair imbalance for local producers. Household Pressure: Foodbank’s latest report found about one in three Australian households faced food insecurity, with some cutting grocery spending or turning to food relief. Hospitality Rules: NSW has backflipped on new reusable-cup requirements after small businesses raised concerns about the burden.

Competition: Perfection Fresh admitted fixing prices on broccoli, cauliflower and iceberg lettuce supplied to ALDI, and will ask the Federal Court to impose a $12 million penalty. Food Safety: Bomberry has recalled its chocolate-covered blueberries and raspberries nationwide over possible metal contamination; customers should not eat affected products and can return them for a refund. Supermarket Sales: Woolworths reported Australian food sales up 6.9% in the first quarter, with fresh food up 8.1% and strong demand for beef mince and value-added proteins. Grower Concerns: Banana farmers warn proposed imports from the Philippines could bring new pests and diseases, putting a $1.3 billion Australian industry at risk.

Hospitality: Matt Stone will relaunch Taronga Zoo’s Me-Gal restaurant on December 15, as part of a wider overhaul of its food and catering operations. Food Security: Foodbank’s latest report says 3.6 million Australian households experienced hunger in the past year; 69% were facing it for the first time. Food Safety: Aldi’s long-life milk recall has expanded to another state, prompting fresh warnings for shoppers. Industry: Perfection Fresh will pay $12 million after admitting cartel conduct. Menus & Travel: Virgin Australia has added $12 hot chips to economy flights, while Finnair has launched daily Melbourne–Helsinki service via Bangkok, bringing its signature blueberry juice to Australian skies.

Food Safety: Aldi has recalled Farmdale full-cream long-life milk over microbial contamination. The one-litre cartons, with a June 5, 2027 best-before date, were sold in Victoria, South Australia and two NSW stores. Competition: Perfection Fresh is to pay $12 million after admitting cartel conduct involving vegetable prices sold to Aldi. Food Security: A new report says one in three Australian households experienced food insecurity in the past year, with single-parent families among those hardest hit. Growers: Varroa mite fears are driving a plan to establish 1,000 managed beehives on farms, as growers warn pollinator losses could threaten food production. In WA, an expanded avocado facility can now pack up to 100,000 trays a day, more than triple its previous capacity. Dining: The Good Food Guide named Sixpenny its Restaurant of the Year, with Hussein Sarhan and Alex Tong sharing Chef of the Year honours.

Food Insecurity: One in three Australian households struggled to afford food in the past year, with Foodbank reporting 3.6 million affected—100,000 more than in 2025. Farm Pressure: Flying foxes are damaging banana crops on the NSW Mid North Coast; one grower estimates more than 10,000 bananas were affected this month. Produce Competition: Perfection Fresh has admitted cartel conduct over vegetables sold to Aldi, putting scrutiny on Australia’s fresh-produce market. Restaurant Awards: Sixpenny was named Restaurant of the Year at the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide Awards, with Hussein Sarhan and Alex Tong sharing Chef of the Year. Packaging Push: Frozen-yoghurt chain Yo-Chi is asking customers to send MPs postcards calling for tougher rules on single-use plastics. Seafood Traceability: Tasmanian researchers are developing AI that identifies individual rock lobsters by their shell patterns, with the aim of helping buyers trace seafood to its source.

Market Conduct: Perfection Fresh has admitted cartel conduct involving vegetables sold to Aldi, putting supermarket supply practices under scrutiny. Food Insecurity: New research finds one in three Australian households struggled to access food in the past year, with Foodbank describing the problem as entrenched. Waste Reduction: A new WA toolkit helps small food businesses measure waste and assess whether reuse or recycling options make commercial sense. Rising Costs: Cocoa prices have more than doubled since February to about $8,300 a tonne, while sugar is up 45%, adding pressure to Halloween confectionery prices. Product Safety: Arla Protein salted caramel and chocolate puddings have been recalled after glass was found in the 200g products. Retail Launch: Australian-founded hydration brand Phizz has made its local supermarket debut in Woolworths after building its business in the UK.

Food Insecurity: Foodbank says one in three Australian households — more than 3.5 million — struggled to access enough nutritious food in the past year. Severe food insecurity rose about 40% between 2020 and 2024, with rising living costs adding pressure. Cold-Chain Innovation: Wickham Freight Lines has put Australia’s first regular-production solar-powered refrigerated trailer into service, cutting diesel use while keeping food cold in transit. Drinks Industry: Wineries and breweries are feeling the impact of falling alcohol consumption. Australian drinking fell about 10% in the three years to 2024, while wine exports hit a 22-year low. Restaurant Recognition: Three Blue Ducks Burradoo is nominated for Regional Restaurant of the Year and Best New Restaurant at the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide awards.

Food Heritage: Vegemite marked 103 years since its Melbourne beginnings, remaining a fixture of Australian breakfast tables. Regional Producers: Yass retailer Merchant Campbell’s growing annual food market will bring together small-scale producers from across the region on November 7. Retail & Nutrition: A major plastics ban is set to affect Coles and Woolworths, while WA school canteens are preparing healthier menus. Farm Pressures: Poultry farmers are raising concerns over high feed costs, even as rain helps lift cattle prices. Drinks & Exports: Coopers is adding ginger beer to its range ahead of summer, and Australian table-grape growers are optimistic about the new export season.