Western Australian citrus grower Harvey Citrus will look to introduce a new line of seedless lemons after receiving a A$500,000 grant from Coles to expand their business.
The company will also ramp-up its existing lime and mandarin production, with over 9,000 new trees to be planted through the grant, which has been made available through the Coles Nurture Fund programme.
“As a small, family-run business, this grant has added to our confidence,” said Andrew Pergoliti, Harvey Citrus’ operations manager, in a release issued through Citrus Australia. “We still can’t quite believe it, to be honest.
“We are planning to increase our lime production by 800 per cent and mid-season mandarins by 150 per cent. We have also purchased new acreage and in the coming months will be buying upgraded machinery and equipment.”
Harvey Citrus has been supplying Coles supermarkets for over 30 years, with the grower now making four deliveries a week to the retailer.
Coles state general manager Neil Lake said Harvey Citrus was the perfect fit for the Coles Nurture Fund.
“We’ve chosen Harvey Citrus to receive one of the first grants because the company is innovative with a strong business plan and a focus on providing customers with fresh, quality produce,” Lake explained.
