mmg.com.au

Goulburn Valley Food Action Committee is preparing to make a second and final offer to buy the Girgarre food processing plant from Heinz.

GVFAC chairman Les Cameron said the committee would make the offer this week.

‘‘We have scheduled a plant tour for a number of people who are interested in operating on the site for Thursday and we will sit down with the Heinz real estate agent Travis Hurst at the end of the tour to make our final proposal,’’ he said.

‘‘This is a struggle that concerns every one of us; from grower to manufacturer, distributor and certainly consumer.’’

The committee’s finance manager Graham Truran said he expected Heinz to be realistic and courteous, as it had been throughout proceedings.

‘‘We are confident they will not simply pull out equipment to spite our opportunities,’’ he said.

Over the last six months the committee has established a group of people with a range of skills and knowledge with the aim of taking on the role of establishing a food processing operation at the Girgarre site once Heinz leaves.

University of Western Sydney senior lecturer Dr Tony Webb, an expert in agricultural supply chain management who has assisted the committee, said the Goulburn Valley food co-operative idea was a wonderful opportunity.

‘‘Our research shows that many products are being sourced overseas simply because local providers are not lean, or flexible enough to meet continual supply demands,’’ he said.

‘‘There is a real opportunity to produce quality products more efficiently with a co-operative venture that links elements of the food grower, processor, and distributor supply chain.’’