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From a small office on a ‘farm’ at Corindi on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, plant breeder Jessica Scalzo is leading the development of new blueberry varieties now being grown and sold around the globe.

Dr Scalzo is the Variety Improvement Manager for the Costa Berry Category and is overseeing a program to continuously improve the fruit quality and growing characteristics of the blueberry.

“It’s a long process and a big challenge, balancing the horticultural, market and consumer requirements,” Dr Scalzo said.

“Plant breeding is a good combination between art and science. You have to use your imagination when you breed a crop because what you cross today you won’t see as a variety for around 10 years.”

With increased production of blueberries around the globe, Dr Scalzo said much of the breeding work has been focused on higher crop yield and increased productivity.

“In some breeding programs fruit quality has been left behind, but I am a great believer in quality and that is what differentiates our Costa varieties from others,” she said.

Dr Scalzo, who grew up in a small Italian town, said she had always had an interest in plant breeding. She completed a Master of Agricultural Science and Food Technology at the University of Ancona in Italy, before going on to complete her PhD in plant breeding.

“I worked mainly with berry fruits and the aim was to increase the antioxidant and health benefits by putting these qualities back into the fruit,” she said.

After working in New Zealand, Dr Scalzo and her husband Maurizio Rocchetti, a horticulturalist, came to Australia to work in the berry industry.

“I started with Costa in 2013. This ‘farm’ is actually an institute of people. We have some of the world’s experts in blueberries here, and in areas such logistics and horticulture.  That was one of the reasons I wanted to join this company, I wanted new challenges and I am still learning,” she said.

“Costa invests a lot into this type of research and development; we are the breeders and the growers which gives us a big advantage.  Our varieties are in high demand and are grown pretty much around the world.”

Using traditional plant breeding techniques, Dr Scalzo and her team have tens of thousands of plants being grown under trial conditions, constantly looking for new varieties that meet the quality test.

“We start with more than 20,000 seedlings, which are new crosses between existing varieties, and we test every single plant for fruit characteristics — good flavour, good texture and good eating qualities. We also look for firmness and good colour.  The selection pressure is very high, we only keep one to two per cent of them.”

The plants that make the grade are then propagated by cuttings and put through further trials which can run for up to 10 years.

“We might end up with just five new varieties in 10 years from our original 20,000 plants.”

Dr Scalzo said while the returns were long-term, there were advantages of working with berries compared to other fruits.

Plant breeders working in apples, which have a 20 year growing cycle for example, might only see two cycles in their working lives.

“With berries I can get to see the results of my work which is very rewarding.”

Dr Scalzo’s efforts in plant breeding were recognised by the Costa Group in 2016 when she was awarded the Chairman’s Award for Business Innovation.  She has also published a number of book chapters and numerous papers in peer reviewed scientific journals.

Costa is Australia’s leading grower, packer and marketer of premium quality fresh fruit and vegetables. Operations include more than 3500 planted hectares of farmland, 30 hectares of glasshouse and seven mushroom growing facilities across Australia. Costa also has international operations, with interests in five blueberry farms in Morocco and two berry farms in China.

Blueberries were on the menu in Parliament House Canberra this week as Costa and the Australian blueberry industry continued its push to gain trade access for blueberry exports into the growing Chinese market.

 Projected demand for blueberries in China is anticipated to grow at 20 per cent a year, yet Australian producers do not currently have access to this crucial export market.  Countries such as Chile, Peru, Argentina and even Canada are gaining the benefits of being able to export their blueberries to China at the expense of Australian growers.

General Manager of the Costa Berry Category Mr David Jordan, who met with MPs in Parliament House Canberra, said gaining access to the Chinese market would provide long-term benefits for rural and regional Australia, with increased employment opportunities and significant flow-on benefits for the tourism and retail industries.

 In New South Wales alone, there are several hundred blueberry growers generating more than $250 million of revenue annually and providing employment for 6,500 workers. This equates to around $1 billion (based on an economic multiplier of 3.4) in economic activity for the State.

 “The industry is receiving strong support from the New South Wales government and Federal Labor MPs including Jason Clare, Joel Fitzgibbon and Justine Keay, but we still need to see some real action from the Federal government to gain access for the industry,” Mr Jordan said.

 “The industry is calling on Barnaby Joyce and the Minister for Trade, Steven Ciobo to take a whole of government approach and provide sufficient resources to progress this issue as a matter of urgency,” Mr Jordan said.

Costa has berry farms in, New South Wales, Far North Queensland, Tasmania and Western Australia, producing around 45 per cent of the country’s blueberries and 65 per cent of the country’s raspberries.

Costa’s Mernda mushroom farm is supporting its local community through developing relationships with primary schools in the City of Whittlesea.  One of these schools is St Mary’s Primary School in Whittlesea, a semi-rural school situated on eight acres of land.

In April 2017, Bryan Ashworth Costa Mushroom Category National OHS Manager arranged for the mushroom farm to donate two truckloads (40 cubic metres) of mushroom compost for the preparation of soil for a new orchard to be planted in the school grounds.

The development of the orchard could not have been achieved without the assistance of a number of parents offering their help to weed and excavate the area ready for the mushroom compost to be added.  In August, the students planted 20 fruit trees in the new orchard, which were which were sourced by a local grower who also offered planting advice.  Within a year or two, the students will be able to harvest mandarins, oranges, lemons, limes, apples, pears, plums, nectarines and peaches.

Costa believes that working with schools to encourage exercise and healthy eating among their students and families is a practical way of changing the health of Australians for the better.  And what better way than teaching children to grow their own food.

The team from Costa’s Queensland mushroom farm located in the City of Logan were pleased to attend the official launch of the City of Logan Food Capability Guide by Logan Mayor Luke Smith and Logan’s Official Food Ambassador, celebrity chef and SBS cooking show host, Poh Ling Yeow

Local producers and growers in the City of Logan have been captured in a one-stop guide which highlights the city’s diverse and vibrant range of produce by promoting the city’s food growers, producers and manufacturers to caterers, buyers and investors.

As a major fresh produce business in the City of Logan employing 200 people at our North Maclean mushroom farm, Costa is featured in the guide and also donated produce for Poh to use in preparing meals for the launch.

David Taylor from Costa congratulated the City of Logan on their initiative.

“This is a terrific initiative and we were very pleased to be given the opportunity to be involved.  The City of Logan is to be commended for highlighting the vibrant and diverse food production that occurs in the City.  Robyn Rae and the team from the City’s Economic Development Branch have done a really wonderful job”, said David.

Costa’s Victorian mushroom farm located at Mernda is supporting its local community through developing relationships with two primary schools located in the City of Whittlesea.

Recently Costa employees paid a visit to Mill Park Heights Primary School where they presented a cheque for $1,500 and delivered over 1,000 bananas (or 1,000 serves of fruit!) to the children. The principal of the school, Deborah Patterson, said that the money donated will be used to assist the school to run their Learning and Teaching programs. The school currently runs programs called ‘The Breakfast Club’ and ‘The Lunchtime Club’.  The aim of these clubs is to introduce students to many new skills outside of the general curriculum, such as Robotics and Coding, Chess, Lego, Gardening, Sewing and Calligraphy.

Having opened its doors in 2017 and with an initial student population of 95 pupils, the Principal of Mernda Park Primary Mary Ryan is keen to involve the children in health and sporting initiatives such as the YMCA active program.  Mary also wants to sign the school up to programs through the Whittlesea council, including Pet Therapy and Scarecrow.  The Mernda mushroom farm has donated $4,500 to the school this year so that all students will be able to participate in these programs.  Costa will also donate wooden trays filled with mushroom compost for an instant portable garden for the school to aid in their healthy living classes, including teaching the children about fresh produce and cooking.

The Premier of South Australia, Jay Weatherill and Minister for Trade, Martin Hamilton-Smith today visited Costa’s South Australian mushroom farm at Monarto to announce their government’s $1.8 million funding contribution toward a $60 million expansion of the facility.

 In announcing the funding, Premier Weatherill said the expansion of Costa’s Monarto mushroom farm will see South Australia have the largest and most technologically advanced mushroom production facility in Australia.

 “This is another welcome investment in South Australia and reflects the state’s reputation for producing high quality and safe premium food”, said Premier Weatherill.

 Costa Group CEO Harry Debney said that the company was very pleased to have the support of the South Australian Government and their contribution to the expansion which will create 200 new jobs.

 “South Australia is an important state for Costa as we also have significant citrus plantings in the Riverland, along with avocados and a wholesale stand at the Adelaide produce markets.  I want to commend the Premier and Minister for their support in growing South Australia’s agricultural footprint and in particular horticulture”, said Mr Debney.

 The investment by Costa will see weekly mushroom production at the site double from 120 tonnes to 240 tonnes. 

 The Monarto site is Costa’s most modern and state of the art mushroom production facility, the most efficient in terms of cost of production across all of Costa’s mushrooms facilities and because of its central location within Costa’s network of mushroom farms, it is able to supply the Australian market within one to two days of shipment.

 “The availability of land on the existing site has helped make this investment happen with supporting infrastructure already in place and the existence of a one kilometre buffer zone around the site.  This provides Costa with longevity of tenure and is important to ensure a return on our investment”, said Mr Debney.

PMA Australia-New Zealand and Produce Plus Magazine have announced the finalists for the PMA-Produce Plus Marketer of the Year Award 2017.

We are excited to share that the Costa Group, in collaboration with Flavorite and Perfection Fresh have been seleced as one of the five finalists for the, Australia Truss Tomatoes “Vine Ripened. Hand Picked. Never Bettered” Digital Campaign.  

The winner of the award will be announced during the Hort Connections Gala Dinner at the Adelaide Convention and Exhibition Centre on the 17th of May 2017.

Costa is once again proudly supporting the Good Friday Appeal Children’s Day Out.

A volunteer support team of staff members from the Costa Mushroom Category will be helping kids to harvest mushrooms and talking to them about the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables, such as mushrooms.

All money raised goes directly to the Good Friday appeal.

Get behind our staff at the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre (Jeff’s Shed), 2 Clarendon Street, South Whart.

Picking commences at 1pm sharp!

Australia’s largest ever fruit and vegetable survey conducted by the CSIRO has found that four out of five Australian adults are not eating enough fruit and vegetables in order to meet the Australian Dietary Guidelines.

 Key survey findings:

•           The CSIRO surveyed 145,000 adults and found only 24 per cent of women and 15 per cent of men were eating the recommended two fruits and five vegetables a day.
•           Men, younger adults, obese and unemployed people were identified as being most in need of increasing their fruit and vegetable intake.
•           Retirees, especially those over the age of 71, were found to eat better than younger generations.

A link to the full report can be found at – https://www.csiro.au/en/News/News-releases/2017/Diets-Lacking-in-Fruit-and-Vegetables

You can alsotake the free CSIRO Healthy Diet Score at www.csirodietscore.com 

Costa today announces its sponsorship of the Australia and New Zealand Fresh Produce Safety Centre (FPSC) – https://freshproducesafety-anz.com/

The FPSC is an industry led and supported not-for-profit Company, established to enhance fresh produce safety across Australia and New Zealand through research and education.

“Becoming a sponsor of the FPSC is further recognition by Costa that the safety and quality of our produce is vitally important to our customers and our reputation,” said Mr George Haggar, Costa’s Chief Operating Officer.

Covering all aspects of fresh produce safety by supplying valuable information and resources, the FPSC also facilitates research with practical application while identifying any knowledge gaps in fresh produce safety.

“Having access to these resources and committing our business to furthering collaboration between industry participants to advance awareness of fresh produce safety and quality is something we as a business are committed to.  Costa also looks forward as a major player in the industry to contributing to the enhancement of industry knowledge of fresh produce safety and quality,” said Mr Haggar.

Emma Nightingale the inaugural recipient of the Costa North West Tasmania Honours Scholarship in Agricultural Science  has this week graduated from the University of Tasmania with a Bachelor of Agricultural Science – First Class Honours.

 “This year I was pleased to receive the Costa Honours Scholarship in Agricultural Science which supported me to work with Costa’s on a project looking at raspberry pests,” Miss Nightingale said.

 “As a result of my study I was offered a position with Costa’s as a Horticultural Technical Assistant and started working just two days after my final exam.”

 “Having a skilled local workforce for our North West Tasmania berry operations not only benefits Costa, but it also provides genuine and lasting employment opportunities for locals who wish to pursue a career in agriculture,” said Mr David Bardon, Costa’s Southern Production Manager.

 “It is such a great achievement on Emma’s part to have graduated with first class honours and on behalf of Costa I congratulate her on all her hard work and dedication and look forward to her having a successful career with Costa,” said Mr Bardon.

 Commencing from the academic year 2016, over the next four years Costa is awarding one scholarship per year to the value of $10,000 per annum for a local from the North-West of Tasmania to undertake a four year agricultural science degree.  This will assist four people to undertake study at the University of Tasmania in Hobart.

 In addition, also commencing from the academic year 2016, over the next four years Costa is awarding one scholarship per year to the value of $10,000 per annum for a student to undertake an honours year in agricultural science.

 “I encourage anyone considering a career in agriculture to give it a go. The career opportunities on offer in the agricultural industries are so diverse and the industry is crying out for skilled people to employ,” said Emma

If you are from the North West of Tasmania and interested in pursuing tertiary studies in agricultural science then visit the University of Tasmania scholarship web page – www.scholarships.utas.edu.au and select ‘apply for scholarships

Costa Group Holdings Limited (Costa; ASX: CGC), Australia’s leading horticultural company advises that it has signed an agreement for the acquisition of the Avocado Ridge orchards and packing operations from the Carney family.

 Avocado Ridge is a grower of avocados with high quality farms located in the Childers and Kumbia regions of central Queensland, with total plantings of circa 300 hectares on circa 500 hectares of land.  The Avocado Ridge farms currently supply the Australian retail market from March to September and are located in a key growing region for avocado production.

 The acquisition agreement has been entered into in conjunction with Macquarie Agricultural Funds Management (MAFM).  Under the agreement, MAFM will purchase the farms and enter into a 20-year lease with Costa to operate them.  This is the first acquisition under a recently announced arrangement between the two parties to jointly consider M&A projects.

 Costa CEO Harry Debney said this acquisition is the first major step in Costa’s strategy to realise vertical integration in its avocado category.

 “This acquisition is a first major step in Costa’s strategy to vertically integrate our avocado category.  It will add significant growing capacity to our existing plantings, and ripening and marketing functions.  Avocados will become a truly vertically integrated fifth pillar complementing our existing core produce categories of berries, mushrooms, citrus and glasshouse tomatoes.” said Mr Debney.

 “Our focus is to be number one in the categories that we operate in where there are opportunities for us to create a genuine market difference and to ultimately achieve a 52-week production situation.  We believe avocados is a very strong growth area that fits these criteria”, said Mr Debney.

 The Carney family will remain with the business to perform key management and operational roles, utilising their extensive experience and knowledge of successful avocado production as well as the local growing climate.

 “Costa has been exploring opportunities to expand our core produce categories and we identified the Carney family and their proven operation as being an excellent fit with our business model.  The Avocado Ridge farms network is largely comprised of young trees which provide a strong growth trajectory into the future,” said Mr Debney

 With the current circa 100 hectares of avocados Costa has in the South Australian Riverland, this acquisition would bring the Company’s total plantings to circa 400 hectares.

 The acquisition is expected be completed in January 2017 and while the acquisition price has not been disclosed the transaction is expected to be earnings per share accretive from the first full financial year.

For further information contact:  Michael Toby Corporate Affairs Manager – T: +613 8363 9071