AU: Simplot in five-year Coles deal
An initiative, rolled out on Australia Day by supermarket giant Coles, is to replace all of its Smart Buy frozen vegetables with 100 per cent Australian grown vegetables and potatoes.
The agreement comes in the form of a five-year contract that the retailer has inked with Simplot, who operate vegetable processing operations in Devonport in Tasmania and Bathurst, and will mean that more than 240 growers will be growing an additional 2.7 million kilograms of vegetables and potatoes.
“The vegetable processing sector in Australia has seen a tough number of years with a number of closures, but it is great to see the major retailers getting behind one of our last remaining processors, and we hope to see this support continue in a sustainable fashion, so that Australia can continue to produce high quality frozen vegetable product,” said Mr Mulcahy, CEO of Ausveg. “This move means that there will potentially be 2.7 million kilograms less product entering Australia from countries such as China and Thailand, countries which employ agricultural practices which may not be permitted here, so this represents a win for both Australian families and Australian growers.”
For more information:
Hugh Gurney
Ausveg
Phone: +61 (03) 9882 0277
E-mail: [email protected]
www.ausveg.com.au
