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A new multi-million dollar berry packing facility has been opened in Morocco by Costa Group’s African Blue operations, putting it at the forefront of berry exports to the European Union, United Kingdom, Russia and Asia.

The state-of-the-art facility in Larache, Morocco, is a 10,000 square metre facility, making it the largest berry packing facility servicing the European market. The shed has been designed to handle seasonal capacity of up to 12,000 tonnes of blueberries per year and is capable of processing 150 tonnes per day.

Costa Berry International General Manager, Peter McPherson, who is in Morocco for the opening said this was a further major investment by Costa Group in Morocco through its majority owned companies African Blue and Sweet Berry.

“This facility will enhance the quality and reputation of Costa Group’s world leading blueberry genetics, which have been grown in Morocco for over a decade,” Mr McPherson said.

“The blueberry varieties that we grow give us a distinct competitive advantage in the United Kingdom, European Union and Russia as we are able to deliver a premium fresh product into those markets.”

African Blue General Manager, Mr Avi Wizman said around 200 people attended the opening, including Australia’s first Ambassador to Morocco, Ms Berenice Owen-Jones, government officials, customers, clients and service providers.

The opening coincided with a visit to Australia by Mr Aziz Akhannouch, Morocco’s Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, Water and Forests, who toured one of Costa’s berry farms in Corindi, New South Wales, to gain an insight into the Australian operations.

Costa acquired a majority ownership stake in African Blue in late 2017. The Morocco production area is 294 hectares, with supply from an additional 108 hectares from licensed third-party growers. Further development is currently being undertaken to extend the length of the season including plantings at Agadir located on the Atlantic Ocean. In addition to the Moroccan operations, Costa operates three berry farms in China with more than 100 hectares.

A delegation led by the Moroccan Minister of Agriculture toured the Costa Berry farm at Corindi on February 9 as part of a two-week visit to Australia that included New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria, Queensland and Canberra.

Mr Aziz Akhannouch, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, Waters and Forests, was accompanied by members of the chambers of agriculture and agricultural interprofessions, industry officials and agricultural company representatives.

The Minister said the visit was an opportunity to learn about the Australian experience in areas of training, research and biosecurity, and to see large producers such as Costa in operation.

He said there were opportunities for both countries to promote cooperation.

“Morocco is a gateway to the European and African markets for Australia,” Mr Akhannouch said.

Austrade Director in Morocco Mr Oussama Alaoui, who organised the mission program, said it was the second visit by the Minister to Australia and was aimed at developing new research and training collaborations, developing capabilities in areas such as biosecurity as well as to address opportunities for increased cooperation in trade and investment.

He said Costa, which had invested significantly in Morocco, provided a model for other Australian producers looking to gain access to the European markets.

“Costa enjoys a very good reputation in the Moroccan market and employs a good number of people. It also exports Moroccan agricultural products to the European Union,” Mr Alaoui said.

“This is a very important visit in terms of the status of the Minister in Morocco and as a leader of a political party. Australia just opened an embassy in Morocco in 2017 and this comes as a strong gesture from Morocco that they appreciate Australia is committed to being engaged.”

The visit to Australia coincides with Costa subsidiary, African Blue opening its new multi-million ‘state-of-the-art’ 10,000 square metre pack house in Larache, Morocco.

Costa Berry International General Manager, Peter McPherson, currently in Morocco for the opening said: “This is a further major investment by the Costa group in Morocco through its majority owned companies African Blue and Sweet Berry and will be the largest berry pack house servicing the EU market and will further enhance the overall quality reputation of the world leading Australian bred Costa genetics to its customer base.”

Around 200 people including Australia’s first Ambassador to Morocco, Ms Berenice Owen-Jones, government officials, customers, clients and service providers attended the packing shed opening ceremony and farm visits.

Photo caption:  From left, Greg Murdoch and George Jessett, Costa Berry International, Mr Aziz Akhannouch, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, Waters and Forests, Mohamed Alamouri – President of InterProberries Maroc, and Christian Parsons and Sarah Behr, Costa Berry Category.

Leading horticultural company Costa has once again thrown its support behind the community organisation Produce to the People, with $10,000 in funding for operations during 2019.

Costa has had an ongoing relationship with Produce to the People since 2016 and has now also resumed fruit donations, following the announcement that Northern Tasmania is free of fruit fly.

Produce to the People is a social enterprise that grows, gathers and gives fresh produce to those in need. In the last financial year, the organisation gave almost 77,000 kilos of produce to the North-West community.

Produce to the People President Dr Amina Keygan said Costa’s ongoing support for the organisation was greatly appreciated. “Produce to the People is so grateful for both the continuing financial support and food donations from Costa, which go a long way to helping ensure the most vulnerable people in our community get the support they need and deserve,” Dr Keygan said. “The resumption of fruit donations to the emergency food relief program following the fruit fly issue is especially welcome in that we are able to offer more variety to those accessing our services.”

Cameron Folder, regional manager for Costa’s Tasmania berry farms, said he was pleased to continue support for Produce to the People, which provided such a valuable service to the Burnie community and surrounds.

“Costa Berries plays an active role in supporting the social fabric of the many regional and rural communities in which we operate. We look forward to continuing to support the work of Produce to the People in providing those in need with access to fresh and healthy produce,” Mr Folder said.

Australia’s leading horticultural company Costa has announced two new ongoing university scholarships to encourage and assist students studying agriculture related degrees.

The two scholarships supported by the Costa Berry Category are worth $5000 each a year and will be offered through the University of New England and the University of Queensland.

These new scholarships are in addition to the Costa North-West Scholarship in Agricultural Science and the Costa Honours Scholarship in Agricultural Science, offered through the University of Tasmania.

“The Costa Berry Category has a strong commitment to supporting the industry and the communities in which it operates,” said Mr Stuart Costa, General Manager of the Berry Category.

“A skilled workforce provides benefits to our business and the industry as a whole and also provides lasting employment opportunities for the people in our regions who wish to pursue a career in horticulture.”

Costa Berries operates farms in Corindi and Tumbarumba, in New South Wales, the Atherton Tablelands in Far North Queensland, Gingin in Western Australia, and the North-West coast of Tasmania.

“As a major employer in the regions in which we operate, we are pleased to provide support and assistance for local people wanting to pursue a university qualification.”

The scholarships, which target second year university students, are offered through the University of New England and the University of Queensland.

The Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health (MCWH) has been providing health education and information to women in the workplace and in the general community for over thirty years and also works with other organisations to conduct research, advocacy and community-specific projects.

Costa has partnered with the Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health for a number of years participating in the Industry Visits Program at the Mernda facility a number of times.

Funded by the government, this is a very flexible health education program conducted in the workplace that is specifically designed for women from immigrant and refugee backgrounds.

Costa is proud to sponsor the Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health celebration of their 40th Anniversary: Migrant Women Matter on Thursday 25th October the Clarendon Ballroom, the Langham Hotel

All proceeds from ticket sales and raffle prizes/silent auction will go to continuing the legacy of keeping migrant women’s health in migrant women’s hands.

A $40,000 scholarship is on offer for students looking to study agriculture at the University of Tasmania in 2019.

Costa, Australia’s leading horticultural company and one of the State’s major employers, is providing ongoing support for anyone keen to pursue a career in agriculture.

The Costa North-West Scholarship in Agricultural Science, worth $10,000 a year, is now open for applications from people looking to start a full-time undergraduate degree in agriculture at the University of Tasmania in 2019.

Dylan Bellchambers, who completed his schooling at Ulverstone High School and Don College, is the 2018 recipient of the Costa North-West Scholarship in Agricultural Science. He grew up in Ulverstone and worked during school holidays on his uncle’s crop and livestock farm.

“It’s not something I was expecting. I am the first in my family to go to university and they are very proud, but before the scholarship, my Mum was particularly worried about how I was going to pay for the upfront costs at University,” Dylan said.

“I encourage everyone thinking of studying agriculture to apply, the scholarship is far more than financial support, it extends to opportunities for direct engagement with Costa. For myself this has been extremely valuable in enabling insight into leading current and emerging horticultural practices from highly skilled and passionate employees at Costa.”

Costa also supports Honours students through the Costa Honours Scholarship in Agricultural Science, valued at $10,000 for one year.

Emma Nightingale, the inaugural recipient of the Honours scholarship, started working with Costa two days after her final exam, and Ella Roper, who was the 2017 recipient, also gained employment straight after university.

“The scholarship enabled me to move up to Devonport while I was at uni, to do my sampling. I got to meet the horticultural team at Costa and then they offered me a position when I finished my degree,” Ella said.

The scholarships are administered by the University of Tasmania Advancement Office and are provided for education purposes to be used at the discretion of the recipient to cover study and living costs while attending the University of Tasmania in Hobart.

For information visit the University of Tasmania website at http://apply.scholarships.utas.edu.au/.  The Costa scholarship can be found under the scholarship listings and is titled ‘Costa North-West Scholarship in Agricultural Science’ and ‘Costa Honours Scholarship in Agricultural Science’.

 Applications close on October 31.

Costa Mushroom category joins the Mernda railway community open day serving delicious and nutritious vegetarian mushroom burgers.  Families and residents of all ages showed up to test the new trains in preparation for the official opening on Sunday 26^th August.  Despite the harsh weather, the rain and winds didn’t keep the people away!   

Celebrating the first rail line in 60 years with the project delivered ahead of schedule, this much needed rail system is designed to help ease travel time and access for commuters in the local community.

Supporting this event was local MP member Danielle Green who addressed the locals quoting “I look forward to welcoming visitors travelling by train to our wonderful region from next month. This long-awaited investment will be welcomed by Mernda locals.

Our hearty veggie burgers were a hit with the residents – serving up to 1000 veggie burgers that day, we were delighted to see our mushrooms so popular amongst the crowds.

The event allowed Costa mushroom an opportunity to engage with local residents – promoting our fresh, clean and flavourful mushrooms, many were intrigued as to where they could purchase our products – the answer is at your local retail stores!

Mushrooms are not only easy to cook and prepare, they also come as a great subsidiary for vegetarians who crave that juicy and meaty texture in food.

We hope by showcasing our mushrooms, customers would understand the simplicity and versatility of having mushrooms added to their meal.

The Costa Berry Category’s commitment to providing ongoing training and development for its staff has been recognised at the annual Sunny’s Business Awards, run by the Coffs Harbour Chamber of Commerce.

The Costa Berry Category was the recipient of the award for Professional Development and Staff Training, which recognises businesses that provide ongoing training to their staff – both in house or through external training organisations.

David Jordan, General Manager of the Berry Category, said the award was recognition of the emphasis Costa placed on providing a learning and development framework across the whole business.

“People are at the heart of the Costa business and we are committed to providing opportunities for our team members to develop long-term careers,” Mr Jordan said.

“We also acknowledge the important role we play as a major regional employer to contribute to the long-term development and sustainability of our communities.”

Led by a small but dedicated Human Resources team, a raft of new training programs have been designed, developed and delivered. In addition to the training programs, Costa has also implemented a traineeship program, working with local high schools and VET providers to offer new job opportunities across the regions in which it operates.

Our berry team at Corindi on the North Coast of New South Wales has engaged with a local high school to provide students with access to a healthy and nutritious breakfast.

 The Orara High School’s Breakfast Club provides meals to around 40 students a day and Costa supports the program, providing complementary fresh berries on a weekly basis for the school.

Breakfast is a vital meal and according to the Australian Red Cross the benefits of a school breakfast program for students who have not had breakfast at home includes providing essential nutrition for children and adolescents, better health and learning outcomes, socialisation and increased participation and engagement at school.

Following discovery of damage to plastic rollers on a packaging line at its Victorian mushroom production facility, the Costa Mushroom category has issued a consumer alert advising that some punnets of sliced mushrooms could contain large pieces of white plastic, and that the product is being recalled.

Sliced mushrooms sold in plastic bags are not affected by this alert.

As soon as the issue was detected, even though there were no reported incidents, Costa advised food safety authorities of the intention to conduct a recall, and retailers were notified to withdraw the product from sale. 

While the probability of consumer impact is extremely low, and the large pieces of white inert plastic would be highly visible, consumers who have not used the sliced mushrooms are advised to return the product to the store of purchase to receive a full refund.

 Please see the Food Recall notice below:

Congratulations to the Costa Berries Far North Queensland team who recently took part in the 140km Great Wheelbarrow Race, raising more than $4,000 for the Tolga State School.

The race honours the pioneers who pushed their wheelbarrows full of possessions from the coast to the Atherton Tablelands in the Gold Rush era. Regional Farm Manager Rob King said it was the first year a Costa team had been involved.

“We are very pleased to have raised more than $4,000 for the small Tolga State School, which will put the money towards updating science kits for the primary school children in their science studies curriculum hopefully to educate the next generation of aspiring horticulturists,” Rob said.

The Great Wheelbarrow Race is now in its 15th year and attracts more than 40 teams, who push a wheelbarrow from the small town of Chillagoe to Mareeba, following the Wheelbarrow Way.

Thanks to the following sponsors of the Costa Berry team: Barron Valley Hotel; Costa Avocados & Bananas; Tully Welding Works; Jason Cummings Electrical Service; Tableland Pump & Irrigation Repairs & Service; Landmark; and Peter Buckley Bobcat & Excavations Pty Ltd.

Costa’s mushroom farm located at Mernda in the northern suburbs of Melbourne enjoys supporting its local community through developing relationships with local schools in the City of Whittlesea. One of these schools is St Mary’s Parish Primary School, a semi-rural school situated on eight acres of land. Last year, Costa donated two truckloads (40 cubic metres) of mushroom compost for the preparation of the ground for a new orchard which was planted in the school grounds.

Costa has now donated $6,000 to St Mary’s to assist with building the literacy skills of both the students and parent community.

These funds will be used to purchase:

• Home reading books for Years 3-6 students including multiple titles of popular kids’ books written by authors such as Andy Griffiths, Paul Jennings and Roald Dahl
• Picture story books and novels for all students
• Sets of novels for Years 5-6 students for participation in a Book Club program for advanced readers
• Novels for the introduction of a Parents’ Book Club to promote reading in the parent community

These new resources will add to the literacy activity already undertaken in the City Whittlesea, including the giving of free books to local kindergartens and picture storybooks to all parents with 3-4 year old children to encourage parents to read with their children.

On Monday 21st May, Costa representatives joined with the State Member for Yan Yean, Danielle Green, and visited St Mary’s to promote reading in schools and also the Victorian Premier’s Reading Challenge.

Costa’s Victorian Mushroom Manager, Jose Cambon said that “Costa is proud to help our local community in any way we can and we are pleased to be able to support the St Mary’s Parish Primary School’s efforts to promote a love of reading and to develop literacy and learning skills”.