A LOCKYER Valley vegetable farm will improve packing temperatures to supply products all year round, facilitating up to 25 regional jobs.
Queensland agriculture minister, Mark Furner, said Vanstone Produce was one of the 14 businesses in Queensland to receive a $250,000 Rural Economic Development Grant to fund the expansion of its business.
This comes days after Kalfresh in Kalbar received funding for an innovative sweet corn technology, supporting 42 Scenic Rim jobs.
Mr Furner said Vanstone Produce was a fourth generation vegetable farm that supplied directly and indirectly to central markets in the eastern states of Australia including major retailers.
"The company grows a salad bowl of small crops but specialises in spring onions, silver beet, broccolini, broccoli and pumpkins.
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"Vanstone Produce is a leader in the field, with more than 100 years of vegetable expertise," he said.
Mr Furner said the grant would allow for the increase of the packing window for temperature sensitive products all year round and help to improve the working conditions of existing staff.
The project will create up to 25 new jobs in the local industry, including forklift drivers, farm hands office staff and picking and packing roles.
Vanstone Prouduce managing director, Justin Vanstone, said the expansion would allow for the increase of staff facilities and a larger workforce.
"The project and investment we are looking to make is a proven improvement to the packing process of the produce we grow," Mr Vanstone said.
The design included a climate-controlled packing area, an undercover concreted area for storage and new staff facilities.
"The completion of the project will allow us to pack produce in a climate-controlled environment all year round giving us the ability to maintain cold chain, as well as provide our staff with a more comfortable and safe working environment," he said.