4 minute read
PLANT BASED
Positioning South Australia to become a major supplier of plant proteins and generating up to 8500 jobs in the state, a newly announced $378M project to construct three new plant protein processing facilities will be the largest investment in Australia’s plant protein sector to date.
The project is a joint venture amongst Australian Plant Proteins (APP), Australian Milling Group and Australian meat company and one of the country’s largest family-owned food businesses, Thomas Foods International.
While many Australian plant-based meat manufacturers have expressed a desire to purchase and use more Australian grown plant proteins in their products, APP is the only commercial scale pulse protein extraction facility currently producing such ingredients in Australia.
The new venture will significantly expand domestic plant protein supply and export opportunities, quadrupling existing production in South Australia and supplying 25,000 tonnes of pulse protein per year. capabilities and the country’s ability to compete in global markets as demand for new sustainable proteins grows. “It puts us on a global scale and a level playing field with Canadians, who are the world leaders. We’ll be able to compete with them internationally through supplying plant protein products and ingredients to global markets,” he explained.
“For the first time we’ll be able to supply to scale plant protein for Australian manufacturers.” Thomas Foods managing director Darren Thomas said the time was right to expand into the plant-based industry.
“The market for plant-based products is expanding rapidly and we see great opportunity to leverage our experience and expertise into this exciting new (industry) for local farmers and consumers across the globe.”
For APP co-founder and director Brendan McKeegan, the new venture is a significant boost for the company’s manufacturing
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Where to From Beer?
Much has been penned on the topic of impacts of COVID-19 on the hospitality sector. It’s probably one of the most reported on sectors when it comes to the difficulties being endured by what is predominantly small business owners. But the impacts of Omicron and the new settings New Zealanders find themselves adjusting to - selfisolation, widespread transmission - are being felt in a different way than before. Particularly for those supplying the hospitality businesses.
By Dylan Firth, Executive Director, Brewers Association of New Zealand dylan.firth@brewers.org.nz
So how does it all line up? For hospitality businesses who brewers supply to, essentially it’s akin to a lockdown but much worse. There is limited government support, culminating with landlord assistance no longer being available after two years of reduced rents and continued overhead costs due to being open that are not accumulated when closed by a lockdown. Debt at levels that are no longer sustainable with houses being mortgaged to keep businesses alive. This all puts pressure up the supply chain.
In my role with the Brewers Association, I have the absolute privilege to speaking with a range of brewers. From our biggest operators, right down to new start-ups. While these people are the most passionate individuals you will find when it comes to beer. They are also facing huge distribution and supply chain pressure, rising material costs, reduced incomes through channels to market with hospitality businesses either closed or facing reduced demand.
Many brewers are doing everything they can to assist the hospitality sector as they have been for the past two years with stock returns, extended credit and support in marketing campaigns to get people back out there. But they too have limits.
Taking a step back from the current pandemic, there are still a range of factors the brewing sector is facing in the medium to long term. Most of which will take significant investment if regulatory change is enacted.
The Government is currently considering, indicating reviewing, or deciding whether to consider, a number of changes. These include but are not limited to; a mandatory container deposit scheme which would add 20-30c cost per container, changes to labelling requirements for mandatory energy labelling, reviewing the ability to make claims around carbs and sugars and a potential review of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act. We are also about to see alcohol excise tax increased by the highest level in 30 years due to record levels of inflation. Amongst a difficult trading environment, these changes will likely push some businesses to the edge.
It’s been a hard few years and there is still more to come. However, the beer will continue to pour. For now, more of it from a bottle or can than a pint. This column has been edited for length, you can read Dylan Firth’s full column online.
