Clear as day: Flavorite’s glasshouses have become a familiar landmark along the Midland Hwy.
The glasshouses you see on the Midland Hwy near Tatura have become a familiar landmark. We assume they are producing a consistent supply of high-quality fresh produce such as truss tomatoes; however, in recent years Flavorite has diversified its product range to include cherry tomatoes, mini-Roma tomatoes, continental cucumbers and snack cucumbers, with the possibility of growing capsicums and eggplants.
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Across Australia there has been an increase in this type of food production.
Unlike traditional field farming, Flavorite’s glasshouse production enables it to control all aspects of the growing environment. With access to state-of-the-art technology and extensive growing experience, Flavorite glasshouse tomato production yields 80kg per square metre vs field tomato production, which yields 6.9kg per square metre. Further to this, glasshouse production requires 22 litres of irrigation water to produce 1kg of tomatoes vs field production, which requires 116 litres to produce 1kg of tomatoes.
During March 2021, Flavorite was presented with the perfect opportunity to formally merge with the Murphy and Tatura Fresh businesses after a 20-year supply relationship. This merger has strengthened Flavorite’s market position and allowed further product and geographic growing diversification.
During 2022, Flavorite finalised the build of its new six-hectare glasshouse at the Tatura site. The new glasshouse is expected to increase the company’s employee base in the Goulburn Valley from 110 to 170 employees. The build was made possible through contributions from the state government’s Victorian Business Growth Fund and the Regional Jobs Fund. This glasshouse is expected to produce a further 4000 tonnes of tomatoes a year — and the company is not stopping there. Flavorite plans to build a further 12ha glasshouse, 40-megalitre dam and a 12,000 sq m state-of-the-art packing and logistics facility over the next 12 to 24 months.
Flavorite is Australia’s largest glasshouse producer of fresh fruit and vegetables, spanning four farms throughout regional Victoria (Katunga, Tatura, Mansfield and Warragul) with a total of over 70ha of production under glass.
Growing: An aerial view of Flavorite's glasshouses at Tatura.
If you would like to see and learn more about Flavorite’s Tatura operation, the Rotary Club of Tatura has partnered with Flavorite to organise a fundraising tour of the site for charity. The tour will start at 4pm on Friday, April 14, with a session describing the past, current and future plans for the site, followed by a site tour and light refreshments, finishing at 6pm. The contribution of $20 will be administered by the Rotary Club of Tatura and will go directly to charity.
For more information and to register for a place in the tour, send a message via email to: sj.lolicato@gmail.com
