Ingredients

South Australia Receives $113M to Become “Plant-based Protein Manufacturing and Export Powerhouse”   

  • South Australia to become home to the largest pulse protein ingredient manufacturing capability in the continent, project expects to generate up to $4 billion in plant-based exports by 2032.

The Australian Government has announced a $113 million funding package for a project led by Australian Plant Proteins (APP) to make South Australia a new hub of plant protein production, with the Minister for Finance stating this development puts South Australia “ahead of the pack in the manufacturing of products for the high-growth domestic and booming global plant-based foods market”.

The project sees a partnership between one of Australia’s largest meat producers, Thomas Foods International, the APP, and the Australian Milling Group to invest $378 million into three new plant protein manufacturing facilities. 

South Australia Simon Birmingham and Thomas Foods
Image source: www.senatorbirmingham.com.au

With the aim of boosting Australia’s place in the global plant-based food value chain, the APP project will quadruple production in South Australia, to produce 25,000 tonnes of pulse protein yearly for domestic and international markets. Growing global demand was cited as a driver for the investment, as well as the creation of thousands of jobs. The government predicts the project to generate up to $4 billion in exports by 2032, including to the US, Asia, and Europe.

Interest and involvement from Australian Big Meat

The project hopes that locally based plant protein ingredient and food manufacturing will create a new high value-added domestic supply option for pulse growers, which will, in turn, have downstream benefits to local communities. Thomas Foods International, with over 2000 employees, is one of Australia’s largest meat producers and its investment in the plant-based project mirrors moves across the world from major meat companies, from Cargill to Thai Union

“This investment by Government along with the private sector will put SA ahead of the pack in the manufacturing of products for the high-growth domestic and booming global plant-based foods market,” Minister for Finance and Senator for South Australia Simon Birmingham. “It is a major step forward in transforming South Australia into a plant-based protein manufacturing and export powerhouse”

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