The largest grower and packer of apples in NSW, Batlow Fruit Company, is now able to package more apples than ever at its Snowy Valleys location.
A project to modernise the company’s Batlow packhouse received more than $2.7 million in joint funding under the Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund, with an additional $274,000 from Batlow Fruit Company.
The upgrade has been officially opened by the NSW Minister for Regional NSW, Tara Moriarty, while in Batlow.
Moriarty said assisting companies like this is an important part of the government’s support for regional and rural NSW.
“This certainty will help it maintain its existing workforce and remain the largest employer for the Batlow region.
“Batlow Fruit Company has been growing and packaging apples out of Batlow for more than 100 years and these upgrades ensure they can continue to do so for many years to come,” said Moriarty.
The grant is part of the Commonwealth and NSW government’s continuing commitment to focus on the economic and social development of regional and rural NSW.
The upgrades are now complete, with new grading and sizing technology bringing the facility in line with modern fruit processing standards and replacing technology that had been in place for over 40 years.
Batlow Fruit Company’s packing facility is one of the few in NSW able to meet the specifications of Australia’s major supermarkets.
Greater automation will ensure the packhouse can continue to process local apples and will provide Batlow Fruit Company with the flexibility needed to provide the highest quality product.
Batlow Fruit Company Director Matt Palise said the upgrade will “improve our efficiency, reduce downtime and lower water and power usage.”
“The new equipment makes us a much more sustainable operation, ensuring we can continue to deliver high-quality packaging services to Batlow growers.
“The greater efficiency will help future-proof our operations and make us better able to withstand disruptions to our supply chain caused by natural disasters. It will also provide better service for our growers, helping increase their returns,” said Palise.
On average Batlow Fruit Company distributes more than one million cartons of apples a year.