Our Farms

ABC & IBFC

It’s been hot and humid up at our farms in Innisfail, far north Queensland. One recent visitor to ABC and IBFC from Australia’s southern cityscapes summed up the sensation with the words: “I can’t breathe”. and the bananas, are loving it!

The fairly dry pre-Christmas period has been succeeded by wetter weather, which combines with the hot temperatures to produce humid conditions that the trees thrive in.

In fact, all plant life is thriving, which can create some problems – grass and weeds are also growing rapidly, and the banana trees themselves have to be desuckered and deleafed more regularly, which means that paddock work is never-ending for the team. Fortunately, backpacker numbers in the area are steadily increasing, which brings hope that we will soon be able to rely on a seasonal backpacker workforce, as per the natural ebb and flow of the pre-pandemic days.

Lancaster

This summer has proven to be a fairly erratic one in northern Victoria, home to Premier’s own Lancaster Farms. Unpredictable cold spells have meant that the greenhouse’s heating system – which usually gets switched off during December and January – has been kept idling throughout the summer. Despite the weather, the greenhouse crop has been performing really well, with good quality fruit sets and steady production performance.

This is the first crop since the second half of the roof was replaced last winter. Having the fresh new transparent covering over the crop has certainly made a difference, significantly increasing light exposure and keeping the crop drier, which in turn reduces the risk of disease.

The persimmon orchard is also looking good, with the fruit sizing really well. Though it’s still early days, the crop looks to be a good one, and the team is on track working towards the start of harvesting around mid-April.

In other news, Premier has acquired a neighbouring farm up at our northern Queensland hub, with ABC having taken the reins last November. D Farm, as it is known, comprises a huge 115 acres of banana plantation, doubling the total acreage of the plantations managed by the team.

Thanks to the hard work of Steve Morice, Steve Prior and the team the handover and assigned additional work has been very successful. Though this brings a lot more work, Steve Morice, Steven Prior, and the rest of team have been giving it their all and, thanks to them, the handover has been a success.

Both of our outdoor pumpkin varieties are tracking well. We have Butternut and Kent pumpkins springing up in the field, producing good fruit sets and a healthy crop. Lancaster General Manager, Mark Daunt, and our site agronomist, Tim Claridge, have a regular Monday morning walk and talk, during which they check the pumpkins and make a plan for the coming week.

In staff news, Graduate Grower Kiran Gadde is settling in well, working closely with Head Grower Samuel Davies. Santiago Aloisi has joined the team in the role of Greenhouse Supervisor and will soon be transitioning to a Graduate Grower position as well. Santiago has a passion for growing fresh produce, having moved into the field from the dairy industry.

Keep an eye out on our social media for Lancaster Farms updates.

Darwin Fruit Farms i

It’s the wet season up in Darwin, which runs from about December to April, bringing an average total of around 1.5 metres of rain. October to early December are dominated by the build-up to the wet season, with stifling heat and promises of rain that never eventuate. Meanwhile, January to March find us truly in the thick of it, with monsoons a regular occurrence and cyclones occasionally sweeping through the region. Over the Christmas period, cyclone Ellie brought 7 inches of rain to the region in just two days, causing major flooding and wreaking havoc on the state’s road systems. Fortunately, DFF was not adversely affected, suffering no crop damage and able to appreciate the silver lining of cooler temperatures.

The banana trees are also appreciating the wet weather, producing nice, big bunches with very highquality fruit. On the farm, an important measure of efficiency is the carton-to-bunch ratio: the number of cartons packed from one bunch of bananas. This season, the ratio has increased from 1.6 to nearly two full cartons per bunch, meaning that production volumes have significantly increased for the same amount of work. Planting has also increased, with new trees currently being planted every fortnight. With production higher than expected, fewer topups are needed from our Innisfail farm to cover statewide demand, and DFF manages to be entirely self-sufficient in the Darwin market.

It’s green everywhere, which also brings more work – both in harvesting and in maintaining the trees and paddocks. Fortunately, the team has plenty of people to rely on, with returning workers about to arrive from Vanuatu. Having people return for another season is a significant help, saving a lot of time and ensuring that production remains stable, as training someone up to full capacity takes around six weeks.

It’s another world up north, where DFF’s neighbouring wetlands are home to all manner of creatures – from fairly harmless native dingoes to more troublesome magpie geese, who love to feast on young bananas and can smash through a few hundred plants in a single day. Then there’s lessthan-friendly wild pigs, and even bulkier Asian water buffalo, who hop a fence with surprising ease to munch on a banana.

In other staff news, DFF’s truck driver Anthony “Ant Man” has accepted a permanent position with the Group – congratulations!