Australia's top 100 food and beverage companies

IBISWorld has released a list of the top 100 food and beverage companies in Australia. The companies, which generate in excess of $100 billion in revenue, employ more than 130,000 Australians.

The accompanying report identifies key industry trends apparent in 2015–16, including:

• Strong growth in food processing industries — particularly meat processing — has been driven by free trade agreements and increasing global demand for Australian produce.
• Milk production in Australia has benefited from joint ventures and expansion of airfreighted fresh milk exports to growing Asian markets, particularly China.
• The beer manufacturing industry has struggled as consumer tastes have shifted towards craft beer, and industry revenue is set to decline as alcohol consumption, particularly of traditional beer brands, continues to fall.
• The wine production industry is moving towards recovery, following a wine glut that negatively affected the industry for the better part of the past decade.

Highlights from the top 100 list include:

• Fonterra remained number one on the list of top food and beverage companies by revenue generated.
• Lion Nathan remained number two on the list.
• Coca-Cola Amatil remained number three on the list.
• Parmalat jumped from number 27 in 2014 to reach number 19.
• Green’s Foods made it onto the top 100 list for the first time at number 87.
• a2 Milk made it onto the top 100 list for the first time at number 100.
• Goodman Fielder slipped three places to number 11.
• Mars slipped three places to number 22.
• Bindaree Beef moved from number 51 last year to 35 this year.

Green’s Foods is a newcomer to the list, entering at number 87. IBISWorld senior industry analyst Spencer Little attributed the company’s 72.6% surge in revenue in 2014 to its acquisitions of the biscuit businesses of Goodman Fielder and Waterwheel in 2013.

The other new entrant to the top 100 list is a2 Milk, which posted revenue growth of 40.2% over the 2014–15 year on the back of fresh milk exports to China and substantial sales growth in a2 Platinum Infant Formula across Australia and New Zealand, according to Little.

“After purchasing the remaining 50% interest in the a2 Milk Company Limited joint venture, and converting it to a fully owned subsidiary, a2 Milk began exporting fresh milk to China in August 2014. Sales of the company’s infant formula skyrocketed in 2014–15,” said Little.