For sweet tooths who can’t get enough juicy pineapples in the summer, the announcement of new fruit drying and juicing plants is welcome news.
Tropical Pines in Beerwah will soon expand its enterprise after receiving grant funding from the Palaszczuk Government’s Rural Economic Development (RED) Grant scheme.
Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Mark Furner MP says the growth of Queensland’s agricultural enterprises benefits the entire industry.
“The addition of eight new direct, full-time good jobs as a result of this new facility will be an important boost to the local economy of Beerwah, Mr Furner said. “Having stable jobs in regional towns doesn’t just benefit the agriculture sector, but feeds into the wider community to help them not just survive but thrive.”
Member for Caloundra Jason Hunt said the agriculture sector remained an essential part of the economy, both on the Sunshine Coast and across the state.
“We want to see people getting good jobs right here in our communities so they can avoid a long commute and spend more time with their families,” Mr Hunt said. “The RED grants are a great way to support successful local businesses like Tropical Pines to expand and make an even greater contribution to the local economy.”
General Manager of Tropical Pines Anthony Dobson said adding the fruit drying plant to their enterprise will ensure the continued farming of pineapple remains viable.
“There are times throughout the year when supply exceeds demand which results in price deflation. By turning this excess fruit into value-added pineapple with a 12-month shelf-life, we are able to eliminate those peaks.
“The new plant will allow us to process 16,000 kilograms of pineapple per week producing approximately 650 kilograms of dried pineapple.”
Mr Dobson also said both the drying and juicing plants will help the business become more sustainable by reducing the amount of food that ends up in landfill.
“While the fruit drying facility will initially focus on pineapple, our goal is to expand the plant to include other fruits and vegetables such as mango.
“The mobile juicing plant adds value to waste fruit and makes it instantly consumable.”