Nine years ago, Rod Linnett was a Gin Gin grower of mangoes, reaping between 150 and 200 tonnes annually.
Today, as owner of McIlwraith Orchards, he is a producer and exporter of high-quality dried fruits and vegetables, sold nationally and exported to Japan.
“We set up our operation to take low-grade produce that basically was not acceptable as fresh to market, and value-add to it,” said Mr Linnett of his air-drying plant, which he established in 2000 at a cost of $500,000.
“The plant was designed to do a tonne of produce a week.”
Mr Linnett and his wife, Margaret, are among many in the Bundaberg region agri-business who are continuing to see steady growth despite the global economic crisis.
They are happy with the way things are going at their McIlwraith Road plant, having seen their range of dried product expand from mango to strawberries, pineapples, tomatoes and bananas.
All except the bananas come from local growers, and Mr Linnett also provides employment to up to half a dozen semi-permanent casual workers.
“There's a fair bit of expertise in the work,” Mr Linnett said.
They transport the finished produce using fruit and vegetable carriers, and the exports to Japan are frozen and taken in cold storage to Sydney for shipping.
The question now is to expand or not to expand.
“We're probably working to capacity at the moment,” he said.
“We have got to make the decision to make the big step and therefore expand our range.”
The decision in 2000 to diversify was made because the Linnett's felt the mango market was over-subscribed.
“We thought, we've got around 4000 too many mango trees and we could see there wasn't much of a future for us in fresh mangoes,” he said
“I don't have fears (about the future) in the economic climate because our product is generally aimed at the top end of the market,” Mr Linnett said.
Source: news-mail.com.au
Publication date: 3/16/2009
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