Lockyer Valley vegetable producer Reck Farms will increase its annual supply of onions and create more good jobs with the help of a Rural Economic Development (RED) Grant of up to $200,000.
Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Mark Furner MP says Reck Farms, one of Queensland’s largest privately owned horticulture enterprises were one of 16 businesses to successfully receive the grant under round four of the program to improve their processing facility.
“Reck Farms will use the grant to improve their production line, allowing them to take on more produce from onion growers in southern parts of Australia,” he said.
“The increase in supply will also allow them to sort and pack onions all year-round increasing opportunity for employment in the Lockyer Valley region.”
Business Development Officer of Reck Farms Pat Salter says the grant will be of great benefit not only to the family business but to the wider community.
“The addition of the new technology will complement the existing grading line to produce better output efficiencies and the diversification of end products to new and existing markets,” he said.
“The improved infrastructure in the packing house will also allow us to take on an increase of supply from onion growers interstate. This means we will be able to process and package produce all year round instead of only four months of the year.”
Mr Salter says the increase in supply to the business will allow for increased employment in the local area.
“This increase in production will not only open up new opportunities for employment directly on-farm but will see an increase in employment opportunities along the whole supply chain This project is going to provide great economic benefit to the local community,” he said.
Reck Farms was one of 16 businesses approved in the fourth round of the RED Grants program with total funding of just over $3 million. Overall, these 16 projects are expected to create more than 217 direct long-term jobs across regional Queensland.
The initial three rounds of the RED Grants program have seen funding of $10 million over three years to support more than 30 projects which have created 1,800 good jobs across regional Queensland.
The Palaszczuk Government has continued its investment with a further $6.6 million to be delivered in two rounds over the next two years to generate even more jobs, expand agricultural supply chains and provide significant economic benefit to rural areas.
