New project to turn waste onion, garlic and broccoli into useable products

Transforming waste from broccoli, onion and garlic crops in sliced, diced and powdered ingredients is at the forefront of an infrastructure expansion at a St George farming business. 

Moonrocks has been farming in the Balonne Shire for more than two decades but increased demand in contemporary markets for value-added vegetable products has allowed the company to use and sell what would previously have been thrown away.  

An infrastructure expansion project, funded in part using a Rural Economic Development (RED) Grant, will allow for waste to be turned into saleable products –and the project will support up to 39 regional jobs.  

The business already supplies onion, garlic and broccoli into domestic and international markets but project managers have identified a way to turn produce which would otherwise be destroyed into valuable, sought after and saleable products.  

Project manager Harry Harch said it would convert low value, seconds lines of vegetables into high value shelf stable products. 

“The new facility will transform whole vegetable products into sliced, diced and powdered ingredients and value added products made up of these components,” Mr Harch said.  

“There is appropriate demand and financial incentive to process this waste into high value product.” 

Mr Harch said the project would make the most of a consistent waste stream of whole product already dumped on site and sources local waste then value adds it and distribute both opportunity and flow on effects within the local government area.

“It is expected the project, including warehousing, storage and a dedicated processing facility through an on-farm value add operation, will provide significant full time employment opportunities and local economic benefit, be drought tolerant and present sustainable longevity of supply to growth markets both domestically and international,” Mr Harch said.  

Moonrocks is a family owned, Australian business, operated by fifth generation farmers Andrew and David Moon. 

Mr Harch said Moonrocks was built on a strong foundation of consistent quality through environmentally sustainable farming practices and attention to detail. 

He said the business already contributed significantly to the region’s horticulture industry, economy and employment but the expansion would allow them to support even more regional jobs.  

“These are during the construction phase, farming operations, business administration, repairs and maintenance, food safety and quality assurance and compliance, and positions within the new value add facility. These are anticipated to be graders, process workers and forklift drivers,” Mr Harch said.  

“This is of value as it brings and settles families to the area which has a substantial multiplier effect for the local economy.” 

The RED Grant program offers emerging projects up to $250,000 in co-contributions to build industry and grow employment opportunities across the agricultural sector. The $10 million grants program provides for three funding rounds over a three-year period ending 2021. 

A total of 14 businesses have received $3.34 million under the second round of funding for the RED Grant program. Overall these 14 projects are expected to create more than 600 jobs across the agricultural sector in regional Queensland.

QRIDA offers a range of assistance to primary producers, small business and non-profit organisations. To find out what’s available visit Programs and Services.

The Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority (QRIDA) administer the RED Grant scheme on behalf of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.