Olam International opens new almond processing facility in Australia

Olam International, a Singapore-based processor of agricultural products and food ingredients, has opened a new A$62m ($62.8m) almond hulling and processing facility in Carwarp, Victoria, Australia.

The 12,000m² facility was inaugurated by Olam’s managing director and chief executive officer Sunny Verghese, accompanied by Victorian Deputy Premier Peter Ryan and Olam Australia executive director and country head Bob Dall’Alba.

Once fully operational, the plant is expected to de-hull and shell 14t of almonds per hour and employ approximately 73 people – 19 permanent staff and 54 casual positions, according to the company.

The facility will use laser sorter technology for the shelling and hulling of almonds, thus generating significant efficiencies and ensuring consistent product quality, traceability and food safety.

Sunny Verghese said that the company has been present in Australia since 2007, and the opening of the new facility further strengthens its commitment to the country, which offers advantages in agriculture, climate, R&D capability, and modern supply chain infrastructure.

"The investment in Sunraysia and the new almond processing facility is in line with our strategy of integrating the product value chain across all aspects of orchard management, harvesting, processing and marketing activities, creating growth for the business, as well as local growers and communities, such as Mildura," Verghese added.

Bob Dall’Alba said that the Carwarp facility will have a total capacity of 40,000t of almond kernels annually, meeting all upstream orchard volumes and positioning the company to meet the rapid growth in demand for almonds in India, China, and south-east Asian and Middle Eastern countries.

Olam Australia owns 12,000 hectares of orchards across 11 farms in the Sunraysia district. It operates an integrated supply chain for five key products – cotton, almonds, pulses, grains and wool – catering to more than 500 customers worldwide.

It is a subsidiary of Olam International, which commenced operations in Australia following the acquisition of Queensland Cotton in 2007.

Olam International is a supply chain manager and processor of agricultural products and food ingredients, supplying various products across 16 platforms to over 12,300 customers across the world.

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Image: Olam’s new facility in Australia will use laser sorter technology for the shelling and hulling of almonds. Photo courtesy of Jerry Liu.