Queensland launch of Woolworths Organic Growth Fund
Woolworths representatives jetted into Toowoomba today for a full day of activities alongside partner Heritage Bank to help launch the $30 million Woolworths Organic Growth Fund in Queensland.
30 November 2018
Woolworths representatives jetted into Toowoomba today for a full day of activities alongside partner Heritage Bank to help launch the $30 million Woolworths Organic Growth Fund in Queensland.
Senior Woolworths representatives including Head of Produce Paul Turner; General Manager Strategy, Supermarkets Will Herron; and Senior Agronomist, Buying and Marketing, Alex Doyle were among the team that came to Toowoomba for a series of sessions designed to raise awareness of the innovative scheme.
The Woolworths Organic Growth Fund has been established by Woolworths to support investment in Australian organic farming projects.
Through the Woolworths Organic Growth Fund, Woolworths will invest up to $30 million over a five-year period. This funding will be made available to eligible Australian farmers in the form of financial grants and interest-free loans.
Woolworths has chosen to partner with Heritage Bank as the financial administrator for the Fund.
Heritage Bank CEO Peter Lock joined with Paul Turner and Queensland Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Mark Furner for the media launch of the Fund at an organic farm at My Sylvia in the Lockyer Valley this morning.
The Organic Farm Gate property at Mt Sylvia is currently a supplier of organic goods to Woolworth and showcased the produce that it currently supplies, including potatoes, carrots, sweet potato and turmeric.
That was followed by a morning information session at the Empire Church Theatre in Toowoomba attended by around 50 agricultural producers, who heard from Paul Turner, Will Heron and Alex Doyle from Woolworths about the Fund, the organic industry in general, and on the process of converting to organic produce.
Woolworths and Heritage Bank then hosted a lunch at the Empire Theatre for key stakeholders from the region.
Mr Lock said Heritage was delighted to host the Woolworths team to help launch the Fund in Queensland.
He said Heritage had a strong track record of partnering with iconic Australian businesses to help them achieve their business goals.
“We already support businesses including Qantas and Australia Post with their products and we are delighted that Woolworths has chosen to partner with Heritage in launching this extremely worthwhile initiative,” Mr Lock said.
“The Fund will provide a significant boost to the organic farming sector across the country and Heritage is thrilled that we can use our expertise and resources to help our farmers via the Woolworths Organic Growth Fund.”
For more information about the Woolworths Organic Growth Fund visit https://www.heritage.com.au/loans/business-loans/organicgrowthfund
PHOTO CAPTION: Launching the Woolworths Organic Growth Fund are (from left) Lockyer Valley Organics director Anthony Bauer, Queensland Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Mark Furner MP, Heritage Bank CEO Peter Lock and Woolworths Head of Produce Paul Turner.
