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This week the General Manager of Costa Farms and Logistics, Mr Shanon Williams was in Parliament House Canberra to accept Food bank’s ‘Distinguished Service in Fighting Hunger’ Award on behalf of the Australian fruit and vegetable industry.

 The Award acknowledges the fresh produce industry for doubling donations of fresh fruits and vegetables to Foodbank in the last five years.

 “It was a great privilege to accept the Award on behalf of the fruit and vegetable industry, especially given that Costa recently marked a milestone of donating 2 million kilograms of produce to Foodbank.  This equates to over 16 million serves of nutritious fresh fruit and vegetables to people who might otherwise have gone without”, said Mr Williams.

 In 2011, Costa was one of the first fresh produce companies to commit to assisting Foodbank on a national level and since then has become one of the food relief organisation’s most valuable partners.

As a result of the support from Australian fresh food and grocery companies such as Costa, Foodbank is able to deliver 166,000 meals per day to 2,400 charities and 1,500 schools for distribution to people in crisis. In 2015, Foodbank distributed 60 million kilograms of food and groceries across Australia, with 35% of this going directly to rural and regional areas.

As Australia’s leading grower and marketer of fresh fruit and vegetables, Costa is a proud supporter of National Nutrition Week and its promotion of ‘Try for 5’ which seeks to encourage people to the challenge themselves to eat 5 serves of vegetables every day during National Nutrition Week.

The recommended daily intake for people over 4 years of age is around 5 serves of vegetables a day.

As Lucinda Hancock, Accredited Nutritionist and CEO of Nutrition Australia Vic Division noted in announcing National Nutrition Week, “Vegetables are full of vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants which all help keep our minds and bodies working day-to-day, and reduce our risk of chronic disease in the future.”

Each year National Nutrition Week raises awareness of the role of food on our health, and supports the community to enjoy healthy eating.

To find out more visit the Nutrition Australia website at http://www.nutritionaustralia.org/national/national-nutrition-week/resources

The world’s leading blueberry industry body has made changes to its board, ushering in a new era of development and collaboration for the popular fruit.

During the International Blueberry Organization (IBO) Summit in Argentina and Uruguay this week, the group announced Peter McPherson would take the reigns as the new president.

Peter is our General Manager of Berry International and his election was unexpected but certainly an honor.

“I am very proud to represent the Australian Blueberry Growers Association and now the global blueberry industry – that being said I have big shoes to fill following on from my good friend [Chilean Blueberry Committee president] Mr Andres Armstrong and we must maintain focus on delivering value to all our members,” he said.

“Given Mother Nature’s influence on our business every day presents new challenges, and given the generic nature of the IBO we will continue to add value to all growers as the industry continues to grow – after all that’s what the IBO stands for.

“Hence we will strive to raise the bar with greater quality of information flow via the various forms of social media to assist this growth.”

Congratulations Peter on this well deserved appointment.

Russell Allwell, who has led the Costa/Driscoll Australia joint venture business since its inception, has accepted the position of Senior Vice President, Emerging Markets and New Geographies with Driscoll Strawberry Associates.

Under Russell’s stewardship over the past six years, Driscoll’s Australia has become the clear market leader in the Australian berry industry with sales approximating $300m annually. Importantly, the JV is also the market leader in each of the four individual berry categories, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and blackberries, backed by the world-leading genetic IP of Costa and Driscoll’s.

Russell has overseen the development of the brand into the most sought after and trusted berry brand in the country with strong consumer recognition. Berries are now the number one fresh produce category in Australia. We wish to extend our thanks to Russell for his commitment and success over his tenure and congratulate him on his new appointment.

We are very pleased to announce that the new leader of Driscoll’s Australia will be Jon Gleeson. Jon is very well known having spent the past fifteen years working in the berry industry initially with Costa and latterly as sales and marketing manager for the JV over the past six years. Jon has an excellent depth of engagement with both growers and retailers and brings a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm to lead the JV’s talented team into the next chapters of the journey. He accepts this key role at an exciting time for the company and we have great confidence in his ability.

Both of the JV Partners, Costa and Driscoll’s have provided a high level of commitment to the venture since inception and will continue to provide strong support and resourcing into the future given our belief in the industry’s future and our leading role in it.

In recognition of the continued international expansion of Costa’s berry category the new position of General Manager – Berry International has been created, with an internal Company announcement late last week confirming Mr Peter McPherson has been appointed to the role. 

 “With our blueberry plantings in Morocco continuing to achieve a major impact in the European marketplace and further expansion underway, plus the establishment of our China operations, the creation of this new dedicated role recognises just how important international markets will be into the future”, said Costa Managing Director and CEO, Mr Harry Debney.

 Peter McPherson brings over 30 years of experience in the Australian berry industry to his role, having played an integral role in building the Costa berry category into the market leader that it is today.

 “Peter’s experience and credentials in the global berry landscape are second to none and we are fortunate to have him assume direct accountability for our African Blue joint venture in Morocco, the developing joint venture with Driscoll’s in China, as well as Costa’s blueberry genetics and licencing activities across the globe,” said Mr Debney.

 With Peter’s moving to his new role, Costa also announced the appointment of Mr David Jordan to the position of General Manager – Berry Australia.

 “The separation of berry category leadership between our domestic and international operations, not only recognises the growing  importance of our international operations to our business’s performance, it will also ensure an ongoing and dedicated focus is maintained on the individual and collective growth aspirations of Costa’s berry category,” said Mr Debney.

The following article appeared in the ABC Rural news Thursday, 7th July 2016.

Tropical blueberries give Australian consumers all-year-round supply

By Charlie McKillop

Australia’s largest horticultural company, the Costa Group, said consumers now had access to fresh blueberries all-year-round as a result of strategic, 30-year expansion across Australia.

Tropical blueberry production has become quite visible on the Atherton Tableland, about 80 kilometres inland from Cairns, with endless rows of white, igloo-shaped tunnels standing starkly among the usual crops of potatoes, peanuts, corn and sugar cane.

The Costa Group said it expected to pick about 600 tonnes of blueberries in its far north Queensland orchards between May and November, with plans to expand its tropical berry footprint from 42 to 75 hectares in the next 12 months. 

General Manager of the berry category for the Costa Group, Peter McPherson, said overcoming the challenges of growing blueberries in far north Queensland required a multi-million investment in genetic development and infrastructure.

“Obviously, it’s the heat conditions and the pest and disease issues that are prevalent with those conditions,” he said.

“Normally you talk about blueberries being high chill, so grown in the colder climates like Tasmania, or low to medium chill, which we normally grow around Coffs Harbour (in New South Wales), but this is virtually no chill.”

Mr McPherson said securing a supply of fresh blueberries 52-weeks-of-the-year had made it worthwhile.

The winter season has always been very high-priced and kept a lot of consumers from being able to put their hands in their pocket,” he said.

“Prices will come back down but also you’re seeing a huge increase in consumption per capita, consistent with other countries in the world.”

He said the demand and new production methods meant that it would be a profitable industry going forward.

A combination of a substrate, hydroponic growing system under purpose-built tunnels had mitigated the risks, including minimising but not eliminating the devastating consequences of frost and wind.

“The calibre of the steel and the way they’ve been built, they’re the most expensive tunnels we’ve ever put in the ground,” he said.

“So, in the rare occurrence and experiences we’ve had here, we’ve lost some plastic, had some tears, a few little misshapen tunnels etcetera but so far, fingers crossed, we’ve been happy.”

This harvest season, Costa Group’s normal workforce of 30 will swell to around 240 pickers consisting of Pacific Islanders employed under a government program as well as independent, seasonal workers and locals.

“We try to be fair, we pay by the book, do everything correctly and it’s about keeping a happy workforce and for the 30 years we’ve been in business, we’ve been able to do that. But we don’t need any backpacker tax.”

Fresh berry potential ‘unlimited’

In partnership with the world’s largest berry marketing company, Driscoll, Costa Group is now looking to expand its markets into China for the first time.

“Globally, I think the potential is unlimited. It continues to grow year on year — 15 per cent is the norm and look, I can’t see that changing.”

“There are better genetics in the pipeline, we’re spending a lot of money in research and development.

“We have a very good alliance with Driscolls and together we’re going after those (export) opportunities.”

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-07/tropical-blueberries-give-costa-all-year-round-supply/7576446 

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Foodbank extended a big thank you to Costa marking the milestone of 2 million kilograms of produce donated for Australians in need. This equates to over 16 million serves of nutritious fresh fruit and vegetables to people who might otherwise have gone without. 

In 2011, Costa was one of the first fresh produce companies to commit to assisting Foodbank on a national level and since then has become one of the food relief organisation’s most valuable partners.

As a result of the support from Australian fresh food and grocery companies such as Costa, Foodbank is able to deliver 166,000 meals per day to 2,400 charities and 1,500 schools for distribution to people in crisis. In 2015, Foodbank distributed 60 million kilograms of food and groceries across Australia, with 35% of this going directly to rural and regional areas.

Unfortunately, though, as demand continues to rise Foodbank is struggling to keep up supply to meet the need in the community. Hunger is a hidden crisis in Australia with over two million Australians seeking food relief at some point each year. Even more alarming than this is the fact that, according to the Foodbank Hunger Report, over a third of those going without are children.

“Donating to Foodbank not only prevents excess produce going to waste and landfill, but means organisations such as Costa can help make a valuable difference in the lives of thousands of Australians.  For this reason we are very proud of our ongoing association with Foodbank and look forward to extending our partnership over the years ahead,” said Costa Group Chief Operating Officer, Mr George Haggar.

According to the Foodbank Hunger Report, the impact of food relief is both immediate and far-reaching. In addition to having their hunger addressed, people report longer-term benefits such as improved physical health, being able to plan for the future and feeling able to look for work or get a job.

For more information on the Foodbank Produce Program and to learn about how to get involved, you can contact Foodbank’s General Manager – Food, Michael Davidson on 0400 724 613 or visit foodbank.org.au.

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The first Good Food and Wine Show for 2016 took place in Melbourne from the 3rd -5th June, and Costa was a major exhibitor through our Blush Tomato category and our association with the Australian Mushroom Growers Association.

More than 26,500 people attended the show, enjoying 7,000 of our freshly prepared tomato salad and sweet berry truss canapés and 21,000 snacking tomatoes.

The Australian Mushroom Growers Association also participated at the show promoting the new “Mushroom Industry Brand” with cooking demonstrations and samples for hungry show visitors.

Blush Tomatoes and Australian Mushrooms will also be participating in Sydney’s Good Food and Wine Show in 5th -7th August.

Costa has been awarded $1.2 million in funding from the Federal and State Governments Tasmanian Jobs and Investment Fund to undertake a multi-million dollar project which will expand and upgrade Costa’s East Devonport distribution centre and modified atmosphere facility, allowing the Company to increase its capacity to pack, store and ship a greater volume of its Tasmanian grown berries.
 
The works will include installation of new and additional refrigeration and fast cooling equipment, packing and transportation infrastructure, including loading docks.
 
The increased capacity will also enable Costa to invest in expanding its local berry production, with additional hectares of berries to be planted locally over the next four years.
 
The investment which will be undertaken over the next 12 to 18 months will create sustainable jobs, with up to 130 full time equivalent jobs being created.  Of these jobs, 25 to 30 will be created in the distribution centre, with the remainder across the berry farms.
 
“The primary objective of this project is to expand our berry production capacity in Tasmania.  Costa will undertake new plantings of blackberries, blueberries, strawberries and raspberries.  Tasmania is the only location where we grow all four berry varieties,” said Costa CEO, Harry Debney 
 
Costa also markets berries on behalf of six North West Tasmanian third party growers for our Driscolls Australia Joint Venture.  These growers will directly benefit from the investment in the distribution centre and modified atmosphere facility.

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This year’s PMA Fresh Connections took place in Brisbane from the 17th – 19th May. The Conference was opened by Senator Anne Ruston, Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources who spoke about what the sector must do to make Australia competitive across both the domestic and international markets. The ‘other’ Michael Jackson, a specialist on the subject of change in a business context, spoke about the road ahead, innovation and how we need to look for uniqueness in our businesses. Other speakers included Tom Kierath from Morgan Stanley, Mark Soccio from the Rabobank, Fi Bendall from the Bendalls Group, Malcom Keys from Hong Kong based Dragon Trend and Chris Cowan from Kantar World Panel as well as Bryan Silberman PMA and Micheal Worthington PMA AU/NZ who gave an interesting view into the state of the Industry.

Day two saw Costa participate in the Trade Show, showcasing our produce and categories, alongside a number of exhibitors from across the fresh produce industry. There was also a program of events including the Marketer of the Year award as well as a number of ‘meet the expert’ group discussions. Day two concluded with the Gala dinner at the Brisbane Town Hall which was enjoyed by all. The third and final day was host to a number special interest forums and tours.

Situated north of Guyra, NSW, MLC Scot Macdonald, on behalf of the premier, Mike Baird, officially opened Costa’s third tomato glasshouse on Thursday, 28th April 2016. The large scale development brings the total area that Costa has under glass in the Guyra area to 30 hectares, spread over two sites.

The $60 million development is now at fully operating capacity with a workforce of 170 people required to grow, harvest and pack more than 210 million snacking tomatoes grown per year. The development involved construction of 10 hectares of glasshouse and has the capacity to continue and expand to 20 hectares in the future.

Mr MacDonald noted the importance of Costa’s investment to the economic development of the region and commented that it was an ‘excellent example of business investment in regional New South Wales that will have real and lasting benefit.’

“What Costas have done is not talk about regional development, but deliver regional development,” Mr MacDonald said.  “The NSW Government through the Department of Industry and Guyra Council have been supportive and provided some assistance, but it is Costa that have developed the business plan; secured finance; taken the risk and gotten on with the job of building a significant, expanding enterprise making a material difference to this town and this region.”

Joining with Mr MacDonald to open the glasshouse, Mr George Haggar, Costa Group’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) said that together with Costa’s existing 20 hectares located in Elm Street Guyra, Costa now provides employment for more than 500 people and generates significant economic activity in the Guyra and New England region.

“I want to thank and acknowledge the New South Wales Government and Guyra Council for their support in helping to make this investment a reality,” Mr Haggar said.  “I also want to make special mention of our local Costa people and the fact that over the decade or more that we have been operating in Guyra our workforce and key local people have done an outstanding job in establishing Costa as leader in protected cropping and glasshouse horticulture.”

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The following article appeared in the Northern Valleys News, issue 61.

Raspberry fields Forever

By Tamieka Preston, May 7, 2016

As dawn breaks over the sea of polytunnels at Costa Group’s newest berry farm west of Gingin, a tide of workers arrive on site to gather the daily bounty from row upon row of heavilyladen vines.

They will carefully hand-pick approximately 100 tonne of ruby red
raspberries and 300 tonne of brilliantly blue blueberries during the winter berry picking season which stretches from April to November in Western Australia. It may seem like an abundance of berries – but this is just the beginning.

Farm Manager Stephen Beckwith, who previously worked in the olive industry, joined Costa in September 2014 when the Gingin property was nothing but a bare block with a terrific water supply.

“We started from scratch here” he recalls. Now 28 hectares of plants are snugly cultivated under a mass of tunnels and even more infrastructure is still underway.

“Our processing facility is being built and will be used later this year when the blueberry harvest is in full swing,” says Stephen.

Gingin is one of the smaller farms owned by horticultural giant Costa, who produce berries, mushrooms, tomatoes, citrus, bananas, avocados and grapes from more than 30 farms across Australia.

Stage 1 of the Gingin farm included 10 ha of raspberries and 5.5 ha blueberries with Stage 2 adding another 12.5 ha of blueberry’s last July. Expansion is planned to continue to meet strong local demand, and we may really be seeing raspberry fields forever if the new free trade agreements open up the potential markets in South-East Asia.

Staff numbers at the Gingin farm swell from 15 to 30 throughout the year to a berry-picking army of up to 150 during peak production (they are currently on the lookout for more picking staff – see employment page 23 if you are jobseeking).

Whilst it’s an early start, and a 6-7 day-a-week job, picking conditions in the huge tunnels are pleasant, with a comfortable ambient temperature and the wind and rain kept at bay to protect the precious fruit. However bees could prove an on-the-job hazard if you’re allergic – the air is a-buzz with the insects which are introduced to maintain optimal pollination. A degree of self-control is also required, to resist the temptation to overindulge
on luscious berries.

Cultivation of such fragile fruit is intensive. “It’s a more controlled horticultural crop than olives, more challenging, but you have more control over the outcomes,” says Stephen.

Both the raspberry and blueberry plants are grown in pots. “The full substrate production we use here is extremely water efficient,” explains Stephen. Whilst they expect to get up to seven years production out of the blueberry bushes, the raspberry plants begin each season as root matter, which grows vigorously to produce autumn fruit. Although they are technically a perennial, it’s just not cold enough here for the plant to undergo proper dormancy as it does in Harvest Manager Spencer Clark’s native England.

“My family back home think it’s funny I work at a raspberry farm,” he says, “At home they just grow wild on the roadside.”

Raspberries are in season now and available in supermarkets, blueberries will come out in June. Packed with antioxidents and numerous health benefits there’s every reason to indulge in this
delicious fruit. 

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