Page 9 - Food&Drink Jan-Feb 2022 magazine

Build begins on Woolies’ automated FC
FTA with UK
FOOD and beverage manufacturers are set to benefit from the recently signed free trade agreement (FTA) with the UK.
The FTA will remove more than 99 per cent of tariffs on goods being exported to the UK over the next 10 years, covering roughly
75 per cent of trade.
One major beneficiary is the
wine industry, with customs duties worth around $43 million a year being cut.
Beef and sheep meat will have duty-free quotas to then be eliminated after 10 years. Sugar has a similar trajectory except all tariffs will end in eight years.
For the dairy industry, tariffs will be removed over five years depending on the product. Most seafood and fruit and vegetables will have tariffs eliminated immediately, with remaining duties gone after three and seven years respectively.
Meat and Livestock Australia welcomed the agreement, saying it would liberalise the access for Australian beef, sheep, and goat meatintotheUK. ✷
Provectus lands $11.4m
AUSTRALIAN synthetic biotech company Provectus Algae has raised $11.4 million in a pre-series A funding round led by Hitachi Ventures, a joint venture between Hitachi and Vectr Ventures.
Provectus specialises in biomanufacturing microalgae to produce ingredients for a range of industries and applications.
Other investors were Possible Ventures, Acequia Capital, existing shareholders, and private investors.
The company will use the funds to expand its sustainable biomanufacturing platform and increase early-stage product development capabilities through R&D. Provectus said it would also commercialise products that are set for development as well as increase its commercial production capacity. ✷
NEWS
IT will be two years in the making, but construction has begun on Woolworths’ inaugural automated customer fulfilment centre (CFC) at Auburn in Sydney’s west.Once operational, the 22,000 square metre facility will dispatch up to 50,000 home deliveries every week.
Vaughan Constructions is building the facility and warehouse logistics software specialist Knapp will supply the automation technology for the personal shoppers to pick up and dispatch deliveries.
Woolworths director of ecommerce Annette Karantoni said online shopping is prominent in Western Sydney, with demand more than tripling over the past two years.
“The development of Auburn will provide a major boost to our same day delivery capacity in WesternSydney – unlocking faster and more flexible online shopping options for our customers. For added convenience, we will also offer pick up bays with a direct to boot service for local customers who
prefer to collect online orders themselves,” Karantoni said.
The Auburn CFC is expected to create up to 500 full-time jobs and is aiming for a 5 Green Star rating from the Green Building Council of Australia. The CFC will use rainwater harvesting, solar panels and electric vehicle charging facilitiesfordeliverytrucks. ✷
Dirty Clean Foods heads to Middle East
REGENERATIVE food company Wide Open Agriculture (WOA) has secured a second international distributor for its Dirty Clean Foods OatUp oat milk. The two-year deal with MKMI General Trading will see OatUp stocked into multiple Middle East locations.
As part of the agreement, MKMI will purchase a minimum of $150,000 worth of OatUp each year. MKMI will also become OatUp’s exclusive distribution partner for sales, marketing, and management in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait markets.
Dirty Clean Food CEO Jay Albany said the agreement allows the company to gain a foothold in the Gulf Cooperation Countries.
“The GCC is home to some of the fastest growing economies in the world.
“We are thrilled to enter this important market and offer consumers premium regenerative products to meet the growing demand for healthier food and beverage options across the
region,” said Albany.
WOA said it expects the first
shipment of products to be delivered to MKMI by February and estimates demand will be for around 5000 units per month.
The company said supplied produces will have a minimum shelf life of six months, and its new range of flavoured milks will also be available.
MKMI is one of the leading distribution partners for the retail and food service sectors in the Middle East.
Managing director Stephen Price said its focus was on
supplying premium and sustainable products. “There is a massive
opportunity for high quality, sustainable products in this region and we’re excited about the opportunity across multiple markets,” Price said.
Consumers in the Middle East have started to shift towards plant milk as a healthier alternative, with an estimated growth of 50 per cent in 2020.
The region’s alt dairy market is forecast to reach $2.8 billion by 2026, with a compound annual growth rate of 12.5 per cent. ✷
www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au | January-February 2022 | Food&Drink business | 9