10 Mar 2009
Regional Partnership eyes food sector opportunities
Toi-EDA is involved in a Regional Partnership project to hire a consultant to put together a food sector strategy for the Bay of Plenty.
In partnership with Food Bay of Plenty, a non-profit industry cluster representing the interests of the wider Bay of Plenty food sector, the Regional Partnership is aiming to commission a robust regional food sector strategy that will enhance the current capabilities and natural competitive advantages of the Bay of Plenty food processing sector.
The strategy will develop ideas for enhancing the capacity, efficiency and export capability of food producers and processors, and identify opportunities for companies to jointly develop new value-added products.
Toi-EDA Manager of Marketing and Economic Development, Mary Hermanson was a member of the panel that selected the strategy provider and is interested in setting up an Eastern Bay of Plenty food and beverage cluster working under the umbrella of Food Bay of Plenty. She’s hoping a number of potential projects emerge from the strategy that can be developed to benefit Eastern Bay of Plenty businesses.
The strategy will include a stocktake of the Bay of Plenty’s food industries identifying the economic contribution of the food and beverage sector to the Bay of Plenty region and will include the establishment of a comprehensive food sector database.
The successful strategy provider will be named this month.
The Regional Partnership involves the Bay of Plenty’s three regional economic development agencies working in partnership to deliver on the region’s economic development strategy.
They are Priority One (Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty), Destination Rotorua and Toi-EDA.
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