AFGC establishes SME Forum

The Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) has established an SME forum to cater for small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) in Australia’s $10 billion food and grocery manufacturing sector. The Forum is intended to serve the needs of smaller food and grocery manufacturers and explore the issues that affect SMEs.

A changing membership base has led the AFGC to turn its attention to smaller businesses.

“AFGC has an increasing number of SMEs joining our industry organisation, which has been strongly and effectively advocating on behalf of food and grocery manufacturers since 1995,” AFGC Chief Executive Kate Carnell said in a media release.

“AFGC has also updated its membership fees to reflect the capacity of smaller manufacturers and is encouraging more SME CEOs to serve on AFGC’s Board.”

Manufacturers are feeling pressure right across the supply chain, so it is important for AFGC to offer a wider range of services, Ms Carnell said:

“Industry is currently weathering a ‘perfect storm’ from an extraordinary number of pressures including rising costs of wages, water and energy, a carbon tax, global commodity prices: sugar, dairy, cocoa, oilseeds and wheat and the near record Australian dollar making imported products significantly cheaper.”

“Intense supermarket discounting in and private label growth is also forcing down retail prices and seriously impacting manufacturers’ margins.”

The AFGC will hold its first SME Forum on March 15 in Sydney, featuring guest speaker Coles Group General Manager Supply Chain George Dymond, who will provide an overview of Coles’ strategy, engaging with Coles, innovation and Active Retail Collaboration (ARC). The Forum is open to full AFGC members.