Funding for food manufacturing in WA

The Western Australian Government has allocated $10.2 million through it Value Add Investment Grants program.

Funding has been awarded to 18 agrifood businesses in metropolitan and regional areas to support capital expansion, relocation or new projects to grow local processing.

Bunbury-based sheepmeat and beef processor V&V Walsh plans to build a state-of-the-art cold store facility to boost production capacity and fulfil demand in Australian and international markets with its $700,000 grant. While Vesco Foods is planning a factory expansion to diversify product offering with its grant funding.

The program is part of the $16.7 million Food and Beverage Fund, a four-year initiative supported through the McGowan government's WA Recovery Plan to stimulate jobs in food and beverage businesses.

"Western Australia is renowned for its fresh and diverse produce; however, our agribusiness sector remains largely concentrated by the production of raw commodities, with much of it destined for export markets," said Agriculture and Food Minister Alannah MacTiernan.

"Although small, our food and beverage manufacturing industry is growing and is job intensive with strong benefits for the broader WA economy.

"The Value Add Investment Grants program will increase skills and competitiveness related to WA's value-adding production and processing across metropolitan and regional areas."

Some of the other successful applicants of the grant funding include:

• D Trandos & Sons for value-added processing of fresh WA corn for local, national and international markets
• Cheeky Monkey Brewing in Margaret River for increasing manufacturing capacity
• Canon Foods Services for a manufacturing facility expansion
• D'Orsogna for a state-of-the-art slicing and packing process
• Atari Enterprises Trading Company for a brewery and distillery upgrade
• Huon Aquaculture for an expansion and diversification of a value-added seafood processing facility.

An estimated 609 new jobs are set to be created across a range of industries including horticulture, seafood, beverages, meat and livestock, and premium food products.

The funding is expected to generate more than $132 million in private sector investment through applicants' matched co-contributions.

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