SPC Ardmona announces $1.75 water fund for farmers

2 November 2006

SPC Ardmona, Australia’s largest producer of ready-to-eat packaged fruit and vegetables, today announced the launch of a $1.75 million fund to aid drought-stricken farmers in the Goulburn Valley.

The Managing Director of SPC Ardmona, Nigel Garrard, said the fund was aimed at assisting its grower suppliers with the additional costs of buying water as the Goulburn Valley faces potentially its worst irrigation year on record.

“The industry, and particularly fruit and vegetable growers, are going through tough times – frosts, drought and the increasing competition from floods of cheap, dumped packaged fruit from countries which have very low labour costs and where farmers are heavily subsidised by their governments,” Mr Garrard said.

“Additional water purchases, and the costs of making these purchases, will add further cost pressures to our grower suppliers for the forthcoming season.

“By committing this money to our Goulburn Valley farmers, we at SPC Ardmona are signalling our ongoing commitment to producing Australian products for Australians and for international consumers.”

Mr Garrard announced the fund at the opening of SPC Ardmona’s new $15 million high-tech National Distribution Centre in Shepparton today (Thursday November 2).

The funding will cover interest free advances to purchase water, subsidies on fruit delivered for processing and access to 1000 megalitres of water for irrigation. Full details will be made in advice to grower suppliers in the coming week.

The Victorian Treasurer, John Brumby officially opened the National Distribution Centre.

The new National Distribution Centre, built on 5.7 hectares, centralises the storage and distribution of SPC Ardmona products in the Goulburn Valley area.

It will consolidate the number of SPC Ardmona’s offsite storage warehouse from 12 to two, and result in improved customer service and operational savings. A world class information technology system, combined with the new facility will enable SPC Ardmona to improve order accuracy and provide more flexible and timely deliveries to its local and international customers.

Media inquiries: Sally Loane, Director of Media and Public Affairs, Coca-Cola Amatil 02-9259 6797 or 0416 162 336

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