Perfection Fresh Australia announces takeover of Moraitis in Tatura

UPDATE: PERFECTION Fresh has announced it will take over the Moraitis tomato-growing business in Tatura.

Kumatoes From sally gray IMPACT Communications 02 9519 5411

UPDATE: PERFECTION Fresh has announced it will take over the Moraitis tomato-growing business in Tatura.

Australia’s largest family-owned fresh-produce company, which employs almost 600 staff at 13 sites across Australia, has acquired the 4.7ha glasshouse at Tatura, near Shepparton, access to a strategically aligned network of tomato growers and the license to trademarked Kumato Tomatoes.

The Perfection Fresh portfolio already includes the established D’VineRipe glasshouse at Two Wells, South Australia, and protected cropping in Noosa, Queensland.

The company said it would be business as usual for management, staff, customers and industry at the Tatura glasshouse, with no job losses.

Perfection Fresh Australia chief executive Michael Simonetta said the tomato category had been a major focus of the company’s growth and one of the fastest growing segments globally.

“We believe that innovation will provide new growth opportunities to create largely untapped demand and ultimately grow the category,” Mr Simonetta said.

“We are particularly pleased to add the Kumato to Perfection Fresh’s carefully selected varietal range which includes Il Bello Rosso Baby Roma, Romatherapy Baby Roma, Sweet Solanato Tomato, Zima Golden Snacking Tomato, The Original Grape tomato and D’VineRipe Medley.”

Kumato tomatoes are uniquely coloured and change from having a bright green skin to a dark brown one when ripe.

It’s sweet and has a strong and distinctive taste.

“As the largest family-owned fresh-produce business, we will continue to work with our strategically aligned partners and other leading Australian growers who have expertise in tomato growing,” Mr Simonetta said.

“We plan to continue to expand our growing facilities.”

Protected Cropping Australia board member and industry consultant Graeme Smith said protected cropping was the fastest growing food production sector in Australia, valued at $1.3 billion at the farm gate.

Mr Smith said protected cropping was able to produce food more efficiently with just 1ha of glasshouse replacing 11ha of general field production, and replacing up to 20ha for salad greens, significantly reducing input such as fertiliser and water.

“In Australia the industry has transitioned from mum and dad style small production to professionally managed corporate-style systems,” Mr Smith said.

“Tomatoes are the biggest crop, and already 30 per cent of table tomatoes are grown in protected cropping.

“Recently the top three open field tomato producers in Australia have gone into receivership due to financial pressures from weather events, production costs and competition from protected cropping.

“I predict that within 10 years there won’t be any tomatoes grown in the field.”

Accounting for about 20 per cent of the total vegetable and flower production in Australia, protected cropping has traditionally has traditionally been used most in the Adelaide Plains in South Australia and the Sydney Basin in NSW — but Victoria is fast catching up.

There is an open proposal for a 205ha greenhouse precinct site at Woodhouse Station, 37km west of Melbourne.

The developers propose to prepare a range of greenhouse sites of 5ha to 20ha in size designed to enable new investors and growers to arrive and immediately build greenhouse systems.

Project manager Chris Quinn from Jac Land land surveyors said

Dutch Consul-General Willem Cosijn has inspected the site, and several Dutch investors and reportedly interested.

Planning for a $320 million sustainable 150ha farm at Avalon, near Geelong, is also underway.

Sustainable Farms is a project between HRL Developments Pty Ltd, Mercer Stokes and Fresh Select to create a 100 per cent sustainable, cost efficient, large-scale food production enterprise with significant export potential.

“It certainly seems that Victoria is taking a lead role nationally on greenhouse precincts,” Mr Smith said.