Category: Uncategorized

Stockfeed Demand Grows with Vietnam Appetite

Exporting to Vietnam for more than two decades, Manildra Stockfeed’s range of highly nutritious high-quality stockfeed is rising with the growing demand for dairy, pork, and poultry among the population of almost 100 million people.

Since Manildra Stockfeed’s pellet expansion in 2015, demand has soared for DDG-S (Dried Distillers Grain Syrup) in Vietnam which has strengthened connections with key government agencies, significant import companies, and major dairy, pork and poultry producers – including some of South East Asia’s largest leading feed mills.

Head of Manildra Stockfeed Tim Wirth said “enormous growth” in dairy, pork, and poultry production to satisfy the demand for nutritious foods sold to increasingly affluent and aware Vietnamese consumers, had given rise to a need for improved sources of protein and energy in performance-optimising stockfeed.

“As improvements to animal nutrition evolved, it was apparent that our wheat-based DDG-S could fill a vital gap in many of the rations fed to modern dairy cows and high-performance swine,” said Mr Wirth.

Pork is the number-one source of dietary protein in Vietnam and as Asia’s second-largest producer of pork, requiring quality and large-scale production at the forefront of the industry.

“Our Manildra Stockfeed DDG-S Wheat Pellets are high in protein, perfect for growing and finishing top-quality swine,” said Mr Wirth.

“The highly customised wheat pellets deliver the best mix of protein and energy and are extremely successful when integrated as part of a balanced diet.”

Amid the “booming” expansion in the pork and dairy industries, Mr Wirth said the challenge with exporting came down to the supply chain and ensuring partnerships with the right companies along the way.

“Boca Commodity facilitate the importation, warehousing and distribution of our premium stockfeed pellets throughout Vietnam, ensuring products are efficiently received, readily available and maintain their long shelf life,” Mr Wirth told The Cultivator.

He said one of Vietnam’s largest dairy producers, and a Manildra Stockfeed supporter, recently announced a further dairy herd expansion from 50,000 head up to 70,000 head.

“Like several other large dairy processors in Vietnam, business is developed around vertical integration from farm production to further processing and direct-to-market sales through their own retail networks,” said Mr Wirth.

“Strong government leadership for improved child nutrition has driven growth in Vietnam’s dairy sector, providing further opportunities for Manildra Stockfeed DDG-S Wheat Pellets to supplement feed for a rapidly growing industry.”

The Manildra Stockfeed range of supplementary feeds produced at our state-of-the-art pellet mill at the Shoalhaven Starches site in Nowra, New South Wales, are performance-enhanced for a range of livestock including beef cattle, dairy cattle, sheep, lambs, goats, pigs and poultry.

To find out about the full range of Manildra Stockfeed and Manildra Equine products, contact (02) 4423 8300 or stockfeed@manildra.com.au

Trust Your Gut: A Low FODMAP Success Story

The success of the world-first Lo-Fo Pantry Plain Four is a testament to the perseverance and vision of Manildra Group’s teams to create innovative life-changing food ingredients – a masterclass in the phrase, ‘always trust your gut’.

Manildra Group Director Caroline Honan said Lo-Fo Pantry Plain Flour provides Australians that suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) with a like-for-like flour which empowers them to bake, cook, and enjoy eating, without compromise.

“Manildra Group’s research, development, and technical teams were determined to find an innovative solution for people suffering from gut health issues when eating goods made with traditional or gluten-free flour,” she said.

Praised by leading dietitians for its superior baking quality and accessibility for those suffering IBS symptoms which may be caused by the presence of short-chain carbohydrates known as FODMAPs (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols).

Accredited Practising Dietitian and Everyday Nutrition Founder, Joanna Baker said that the product was a fantastic pantry staple for people following a Low FODMAP diet, without compromising on flavour or performance.

“Food is about pleasure, enjoyment, celebration and bringing people together. This means that restricted diets impact more than just nutrition; they also impact mental health and social connection.

“Being able to bake with a wheat flour means you can enjoy delicious food with friends and family, without having to suffer,” she said.

World-first and accredited by the internationally recognised FODMAP Friendly Food Program, Lo-Fo Pantry Plain Flour is produced in an all-natural, chemical-free milling process by Manildra Group in regional New South Wales.

“The Low FODMAP diet is becoming well known and with good reason. Research shows that approximately 75 per cent of people get significant and consistent improvements in symptoms like bloating, abdominal pain to normalising bowel movements when following the diet.”

“When so much of the Low FODMAP diet consists of eliminating and challenging ingredients and food groups, it’s great to see the leaps and bounds being made in the Low FODMAP food industry allowing followers of the diet to still find the joy in food,” said Ms Baker.

The Superpowers of Seaweed

Who would have thought that the salty superfood from the sea would be packed with powers that would fuel the future of sustainable, low emission ocean and coastal farming.

Venus Shell Systems and PhycoHealth evolved from a test tube of seaweed in a New South Wales south coast laboratory and today the companies are embracing the nutritional superpower of this Australian cultivated seaweed, with food, skin, and health supplement products.

Two decades ago, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Pia Winberg, of Venus Shell Systems and PhycoHealth, sought a more sustainable, low emission alternative to grow food from the oceans and coastal zones.

Being ahead of her time, Dr. Winberg realised that seaweed was the missing link.

“I discovered a unique species of Australian seaweed with an exceptional nutritional profile and outstanding taste, which filled gaps in our diets from inflammation, trace element deficiencies, to poor gut health,” she said.

Backed by world-first technology, Venus Shell Systems and PhycoHealth’s site is located at Manildra Group’s Shoalhaven Starches in Nowra New South Wales.

Here they sustainably farm seaweed species and capture CO2, nitrogen residues and lost nutrient streams from Shoalhaven Starches’ manufacturing process and releases only clean, oxygenated water back into the environment.

In an extraordinary process, the seaweed species re-oxygenates the seas, buffers against acidity, and can grow up to fifty times faster than land-based crops.

“The Shoalhaven Starches site has created a partial circular economy of waste to energy system, and together with Manildra Group we have proudly established the world’s first truly circular food production system, with zero waste,” Dr Winberg said.

“We are so proud to have fostered the development of an Australian-first – we farm, process, manufacture and sell our seaweed enhancing products. It’s a completely integrated system from sunlight, to packaged product, and your plate!”

“We are currently working on closing the food cycle loop completely by creating a serious crop producing 100 tonnes of dried seaweed per hectare, and no waste!” Dr Winberg told The Cultivator.

As a platform of biomaterial, food, and feed, the benefits of seaweed are limitless, including reducing the burdens of land limitation, water scarcity, drought, and synthetic fertiliser manufacturing.

Manildra Group Managing Director John Honan said that the seaweed species quality and consistency was unrivalled, with a perfectly balanced mineral profile with iodine, calcium, magnesium, and selenium.

“PhycoHealth’s work has opened our eyes to the nutritional benefits of seaweed, from replacing antibiotics in aquafeeds, boosting animal gut health, improving iron deficiencies in teenagers, to supporting anti-inflammation and gut health.

“With innovation, leading-edge technology, and sustainability at their core, the truly circular process connects the land and sea systems successfully harnessing the power of sustainably farmed seaweed for good,” Mr Honan said.

From pasta, corn chips and muesli, PhycoHealth’s nutritional seaweed enhanced products promote good gut health, and are available at their online site, Harris Farm stores and independent retailers.

Their irresistible signature range of seaweed rich pastas are delighting customers with its emerald vibrancy and features Manildra Group’s Gem of the West Durum Semolina.

Due to the controlled nature of nutrient streams for seaweed species, PhycoHealth’s products are nutrient dense and boast more than 40 per cent protein, than if placed at sea.

“We protect it here from seawater elements, and meticulously filter incoming seawater creating highly sought-after premium traceable marine molecules,” Dr Winberg said.

Renowned for its purity the seaweed molecules have an incredible ability to produce new tissue regeneration for wounds, organs and additionally fight viruses, bound for the medical and personal care industry.

“Thankfully Manildra Group’s Chairman Mr Dick Honan had the foresight to give me a chance, and successfully we have transformed a waste stream into highly valuable nutritional products, whilst also helping the environment.

“Internationally the seaweed industry is valued at $12 billion, and we have an incredible opportunity at Manildra Group to create the nation’s first commercial crop – uniquely sophisticated it will go well beyond the seaweed of today.

“Mr Honan tells me to “never ever give up,” and we haven’t. Every day is hard work, and some days are tough. But we have come so far, and we are ready to make it a
big thing,” she said.

Starch Strengthens Paper and Packaging Bonds

Amid unprecedented pandemic demand for paper and corrugated packaging solutions, leading pulp and packaging manufacturer Opal can rely on six decades of stable and secure supply of wheat starch by Australian family-owned Manildra Group.

Nationwide, Opal’s world-class manufacturing sites design a range of high-quality, innovative, and sustainable paper and pulp solutions, ranging from packaging-grade and fine papers to bag and sack grades, corrugated carboard, copy papers and boxes.

Manildra Group’s first pound of wheat starch was sent to the Botany Paper Mill in 1960 and is still supplied today, to the now-Opal, to provide internal strength and enhance surface ‘feel’, printability, binding and coating features in paper and pulp products.

Opal Procurement General Manager Tyson Musker said the strategic supply partnership with Manildra Group was among Opal’s longest – stretching back to the Botany Mill established in New South Wales in 1902, along with the Maryvale Mill in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley established in 1937.

“Paper manufacturing is a complex process heavily reliant on stable inputs, and the consistent quality provided by Manildra Group underpins this process stability, ensuring we can manufacture to our customers’ specifications,” said Mr Musker.

In addition to booming demand for boxes, papers and carboard packaging for growing consumption and online markets, Opal’s innovative corrugating packaging solutions underpin essential supplies across Australia and New Zealand of fast-moving consumer goods – from fruit and fresh produce to protein and dairy, beverages, dry goods and industrial products.

With Manildra Group’s wheat starches used in paper bags, tissues, packaging paper, corrugating board and stationery, General Manager Peter Simpson said “it would be virtually impossible to make these products in current varieties and qualities without wheat starches”.

Mr Simpson said the long-term relationship with Opal had been “ultimately the foundation stone to Manildra Group’s growth into a world-class manufacturer”.

“As Opal has expanded, prospered, and revolutionised the local paper and pulp industry, the increasing demand for our wheat starches has in turn reinforced Manildra Group’s future growth and success.”

“It’s an incredible partnership after 62 years and one we are very proud of,” said Mr Simpson in reflecting on Manildra Group’s 70-year commemorations of family-owned Australian business.

Established in flour milling in 1952, Manildra Group began looking to markets to value-add to operations by the late-1950s, with the consolidation of the Australian milling industry.

With wheat comprised of protein (gluten) and carbohydrates (starch), Mr Simpson said Manildra Group could foresee demand for gluten increasing with opportunities locally for starches to bind fibres and coat papers – notably in the paper industry.

And so it was on the banks of Nowra’s Shoalhaven River, in the south coast region of New South Wales known by the 1950s for its industrial manufacturing industry, that Manildra Group acquired the former site for making Horlicks’ malted milk drinks and starches for the adjacent paper mill.

Construction of a wheat starch mill in 1970 established Shoalhaven Starches – today the world’s largest standalone wheat gluten and starch plant of its kind – followed by the 1980s expansion of Manildra Group into global markets with wheat starch supplied to Indonesian paper mills.

In the half-century since, Manildra Group has continued to invest, diversify, and expand operations at the world-class Shoalhaven facility – increasing production and expansion of the range of native, modified, and cationic wheat starches for applications beyond paper and pulp, into the construction, mining, and food industries.

Following the establishment of an advanced paper testing laboratory at Shoalhaven Starches in 2021, a state-of-the-art cationic starch plant will (from 2023) facilitate production of high-performance modified starches as a crucial wet-end additive for packaging paper, board, printing and copy papers.

Mr Simpson said Manildra Group tailored wheat starches to meet modern-day paper and pulp machinery – with quality and consistency paramount for uniformity integral to producing fit-for-purpose wheat starches.

“As a manufacturer, we know consistent inputs deliver consistent outputs,” Mr Simpson said. “From operational and functionality to performance and sustainability requirements, we formulate starch solutions specific to needs by naturally deriving only A-grade molecules, delivering a narrow gel point range.”

Mr Musker said the expertise and support provided by Manildra Group ensured optimal use of starch at Opal’s Maryvale and Botany mills and packaging manufacturing facilities.

“Procuring specialised products grown by local farmers through Manildra Group’s Australian operations also aligns with Opal’s commitment to supporting local jobs and communities across Australia and New Zealand,” said Mr Musker.

Mr Simpson said the companies’ partnership extended as mutual customers, with Opal supplying the natural unbleached and unglazed brown paper Sack Kraft for production of retail and industrial paper bags at the flagship facility in Manildra, central west New South Wales.

“Like Manildra Group, Opal is focused on delivering high-quality, innovative, sustainable and value-adding solutions,” Mr Simpson said.

Mr Musker said Opal continued to work closely with Manildra Group to procure starch at specifications required to meet customers’ evolving needs for sustainable fibre packaging innovations.

“There is a growing market demand in Australia and New Zealand for recycled and recyclable cardboard packaging, and this has been a key driver for Opal’s expansion of its corrugating and converting capacity,” he said.

Open-Air Gallery for Township of Manildra

Striking contemporary murals featuring local native flora and fauna by internationally acclaimed Melbourne artist Jimmy Dvate have transformed Manildra Flour Mill into an open-air gallery, in the quaint rural township of Manildra, New South Wales.

Surrounded by fields of golden wheat and yellow canola in central west New South Wales stands Australia’s largest flour mill – the heart of Manildra Group, an Australian family-owned business since 1952.

Manildra Flour Mill Manager John Gorringe said the stunning vibrant artwork celebrated the heart and soul of the community of Manildra.

“It’s transformed the town. Walking down Kiewa Street is like a visit to an outdoor gallery with the beautiful works celebrating and conserving native local flora and fauna,” he said.

A visual point of community pride, Jimmy spent more than three weeks painting the large-scale murals on the Manildra Flour Mill wall, featuring breathtaking blooming wildflowers, Eucalyptus trees and unique native Australian animals including a platypus, wombat, echidna, and white cockatoo.

“The iconic bridge is currently being replaced so this is a way of immortalising it. I was able to truly capture the personalities of these beautiful creatures with platypus playing in the Mandagery Creek while I painted – a truly special experience,” he said.

Jimmy said he loves that art is so accessible to everyone, not locked away in a gallery or private collection, becoming part of the visual landscape of communities.

Synonymous with the street art scenes internationally his larger than life murals share a genuine commitment to conservation with stories of beloved flora and fauna from Squirrel Gliders to Black Cockatoos, Blue-Tongued Lizards and Barking Owls.

His journey to Manildra began when approached by former Manildra Flour Mill employee and Manildra local Sue Reynolds, wishing to capture the beauty of the town and its natural surrounds.

“Jimmy’s work brilliantly conveys not only a love for his craft, but a genuine passion for creatures,” Ms Reynolds said adding that the murals were based on photographs captured by locals.

The second mural is a vibrant sea of red and green featuring Australian King Parrots accompanied by a banksia flower and seed pod, taking more than a week to create on a water tank near the Mandagery Creek Bridge.

“While I painted the pebbled surface of the tank – beautiful King Parrots rested in giant native Redgums above, with banksia surrounding the creek bed. By immersing myself, I can connect my audience to the natural surrounds and environment.

“Over the past decade my work has been dedicated to raising awareness and bringing attention to native flora and fauna, with a focus on conserving and protecting vulnerable and threatened species,” he said.

Jimmy hopes that his large-scale murals delight locals and attract visitors from far and wide to the beautiful central west township of Manildra while highlighting conservation efforts and the beauty of the local environment.

Home-Baking at Heart of Reframed ’Fifties

From the decade dedicated to whipping up novelty fare at home – when fruit, jelly and treacle were more a standard dessert than Sunday servings of warm pudding, pie, or cake – food favourites from the 1950s are back in fashion.

In the latest throwback to the post-war era of emulating domestic perfection, the kitchen has retaken centre stage with a spotlight on staples – starting with flour.

As domestic demand for the fundamental ingredient spiked in pandemic-era conditions, flour has come full-circle for Manildra Group since the Honan family’s 1952 purchase of Manildra Flour Mill in central west New South Wales.

Three generations and 70 years on, Manildra Group Chairman Dick Honan is at the helm of the Australian-owned manufacturer, alongside son John as Managing Director, daughters Samantha and Caroline as Directors in marketing for The Healthy Baker range of specialty flours and bakery premixes.

Ms Honan said early beginnings of the eponymous family business at Manildra Flour Mill were steeped in a time when home bakers were delivered superior flours for creative innovations and new recipe trends – many that would stand the test of time.

“It was all chiffon cakes, sweet cherry pies, fluffy angel cakes and vibrant gelatine-based desserts in the 1950s – what a time,” laughed Ms Honan while flicking through a recipe book from those early days of Manildra Group’s flour marketing.

“The Pineapple Upside Down Cake, Baked Alaska, Peach Melba to layered and rosette cakes… it really hit fever-pitch in the ’50s.”

“There’s no question that baking – the way we eat and how we plate up – has changed over the decades,” she said.

Flour, meanwhile, remains the foundation of baking in almost any recipe – from puff pastry to the perfect birthday cake – and continues to underpin the family business.

As the decade following World War Two heralded the start of sweeping change for a new nation, the end of food rationing had Australians craving all things sweet and indulgent.

“This era really changed our world of home-baking forever as a more personal form of self-expression and creativity, reinforcing that motto that there is always room for cake to brighten even the glum moments,” said Ms Honan.

Amid a wave of unprecedented prosperity and the emergence of new technology, people were eager for the delights and comforts of home-cooked baked goods.

The romanticisation of consumerism driving the 1950s suburban dream, also led to households becoming accustomed to innovative labour- saving products.

Ms Honan said electrical appliances changed home kitchens forever, as people embraced electric stoves, Sunbeam
Mixmaster’s, electric frypans, and ironmasters.

“With sliced and packaged bread available in supermarkets, and Tip Top becoming the first national bread brand in 1958, housewives were suddenly able to save time on baking bread first thing the morning, giving them an avenue for more creative expression in the kitchen,” said Ms Honan.

The era witnessed a monumental shift in baking methods and processes, with many of these changes still in use today including the Chorleywood method of bread making (using lower-protein flours and reducing processing time).

Laying the foundation for more economical and speedier baking of breads and cakes, the 1950s was a period of steady growth with bakers providing consumers with competitive prices, and innovative traits to carry the independent baker forward.

Manildra Group too, evolved to changing market conditions over the following decades, becoming a leading producer of flours, bakery premixes and ingredients, trading as Gem of the West, branding that remains to this day.

By the turn of the millennium, Manildra Group made the decision to broaden access to premium baking products to home kitchens Australia- wide – launching retail range The Healthy Baker in the mid-2000s.

“We have always been a baking company at heart, providing professional and home bakers alike with exceptionally high-quality ingredients that elevate every bake,” said Ms Honan.

“We want to be your trusty kitchen sidekick to help you bake better – whether you’re whipping up a family favourite or taking a fresh twist.”

While generations younger and older lean heavily into the latest 1950s cuisine craze to craft their own eye-catchingly elaborate and sweets, our socials are splashed with gravity-defying tiers of iced cakes, featuring thick buttercream rosettes, gleaming glazed cherries, and lustrous nonpareil pearls.

“I just love this style of baking,” said Ms Honan.

“These artful and whimsical decadent desserts popping with fiery reds and vivid blues evoke the colour palettes of cherry-pie diners we’re seeing again in modern kitchen aesthetics.

“It’s a wonderful way for people to express and explore how they feel – adding their own unique touch in baking and sharing the joy in our social media feeds.”

To guarantee creative home-cooks the confidence of consistency and quality ingredients for baking perfection in form, taste and nutrition, The Healthy Baker’s specialty flours and premixes are milled round-the-clock at the flagship Manildra Flour Mill – Australia’s largest, operating 24 hours year-round.

The Healthy Baker’s expanding range of fresh innovations – including the protein packed pancake mix and nutritious wholemeal flour – helps breathe new life into those old favourites that set the standard aspired to once again in kitchens of today.

DDG-S Pellets Worth Their Weight in Wagyu Gold

We all know that satisfying feeling when you feast on a succulent cut of Wagyu beef, juicy, perfectly marbled and melt-in-your-mouth – it’s enough to make you start salivating!

It’s also a feeling that Dion Porter knows only too well in his role as Manager of Beef Cattle Operations at Fucheng Woodlands Pty. Ltd.

When it comes to breeding the best Wagyu cattle, Mr Porter said that Fucheng Woodlands were renowned for their prestigious, high value carcasses and exceptional eating quality.

“Manildra Stockfeed Dried Distillers Grain Syrups (DDG-S) Wheat Pellets are safe, affordable, and do an outstanding job on our Wagyu cattle, consistently turning off even well grown animals ready to go to the feed yard. I highly recommend the pellets which can be used from creep feeding all the way through to finishing,” said Mr Porter.

Mr Porter has seen increased weaning weights of 80kg in their Wagyu cattle and 60kg in their Angus cattle since using Manildra Stockfeed’s high- performance DDG-S Wheat Pellets for Beef Cattle.

“These exceptional results have shortened the period on farm for our cattle prior to feedlot entry and have substantially improved meat grading overall,” he said.

With a combination of creep feeding and yard weaning, Fucheng Woodlands Wagyu calves are eating and delivering immediate weight gains from weaning – with weight gains up to 1kg per head, per day, within the weaning period.

“The results are truly outstanding and enables our feedlot cattle to be supplied within 12-14 months of birth, compared to the standard 18-24 months. This means we can increase our breeder numbers and conserve further fodder for the next dry period,” Mr Porter said.

As a mixed farming operation, the 90,000-acre Woodlands property runs 4,000 Purebred Wagyu cows, 2,000 Angus cows with the remaining 22,000 acres used for forage and grain crops, surrounding the town of Westmar in Queensland’s Western Downs Region.

Manildra Stockfeed Sales Representative, Nathan Kruidenier, said DDG-S Wheat Pellets provide a nutritional boost with exceptional results, including consistent weight gains, higher breeding performance, increased fertility, and gut health.

“Dion understands the value of high-quality nutritional feeding, in particular the benefits of earlier creep feeding which accelerate the feedlot process,” Mr Kruidenier said.

“Palatability is fundamental at this stage, and our pellets encourage calves to start eating earlier with an enticing smell, caramelised aroma, and appealing taste.

“Other traditional grain-based pellets on the market lack palatability with high levels of feed rejection and higher occurrences of acidosis if calves gorge,” Mr Kruidenier said.

Unique to Wagyu beef is ‘marbling’, known as the finely dispersed, visible fat found between muscle fibre bundles within the meat, creating an exceptional eating experience, with extra juiciness and flavour.

“Achieving marbling is determined by the genetics of the animals and nutrition of the feeding program. Traditionally Wagyu cattle have a lower-than-average daily weight gain compared to other breeds, with weight gains potentially impacting their marble score,” Mr Kruidenier said.

“The DDG-S Wheat Pellets perfectly balanced protein and energy levels maximise the marbling potential of Wagyu beef. This encourages bone and muscle development instead of external fat, which results in a higher-value, heavier carcase weight delivering superior eating quality.”

Manildra Stockfeed’s highly sought-after pellets have been formulated specifically for beef cattle with high-quality trace elements, minerals, and vitamins produced at Manildra Group’s state-of- the-art pellet plant in Nowra, New South Wales.

For more information on Manildra Stockfeed products contact (02) 4423 8300 or stockfeed@manildra.com.au

Producers who Inspire: The Fernance Family

If you ask Glenn Fernance why he loves farming so much, he will tell you it’s all about the lifestyle.

“Surprisingly, we don’t come from a big farming background, we are a family of electricians and builders by trade.”

“We’ve always been from the country and loved the land, so we were thrilled when the opportunity arose for my family, my brother Mick’s family and our parents to start farming full-time,” he said.

A mixed enterprise farming operation, the Fernance’s four properties are located east from the township of Bellata in New South Wales, compromising of 5,000 hectares of prime agricultural land.

The Fernance operation is extensive, running a small beef cattle operation on spare pastures and growing a wide range of crops including high protein wheat, sorghum, durum semolina, chickpeas, cotton and from time-to-time canola rotated depending on seasonal and on-farm conditions.

“Crop rotation allows us to keep strong, healthy soils, and ward off pests without the use of heavy pesticides,” said Mr Fernance.

“We are very lucky to be able to change up our crops each season depending on the conditions, this allows us to maximise the use of our land and also strengthen the health of our soil by maximising the nitrogen when growing legumes,” he said.

With the challenging weather patterns over the last 12 months and a wet end to the 2022 harvest, Mr Fernance weighed in on the importance of being agile as a farmer.

“If there’s one thing you learn quickly being a farmer, it’s that you can never plan too far ahead.”

“Volatile weather, supply chain issues, labour force shortages, and more can all impact your day-to-day operations, which means its best to be flexible with whatever the day is going to throw at you,” he said.

“We have a beautiful patch of land that provides top-quality wheat and good harvest yields and have planted heavily again this year in the hope for a bumper crop!” said Mr Fernance.

“We’re lucky to be located on slopy country, so we are pretty well drained and hopefully are set up to have a good chance to get by the wet weather in stall for the end of the year. It’s hard to tell how the season will pan out but it will definitely be a late harvest.”

“We planted much later than usual this year and will be harvesting right through to early next year if all things go to plan,” he said.

When asked about the challenges of farming, Mr Fernance said the past few years have shown the importance of having a strong support network around you.

“The weather is always going to be a challenge and something we have to work with in agriculture,
I would say one of the harder challenges we have had to face this year is the turbulent supply chains and lack of steady work-force in the regions,” Mr Fernance told The Cultivator.

“Our success comes down to the amazing, hard-working, genuine and motivated people we are able to work with every day. It’s also one of the reasons we love supplying our high-protein wheat directly into Manildra Group’s Bellata grain storage site,” he said.

When asked about the future of the family business, Mr Fernance said he and his brother Mick always have plans for expansion.

“We would love to continue to grow our operations, however it is all about doing it the right way, and for now, that means securing a workforce of reliable workers and safeguarding the next generation of our farming enterprise,” he said.

“We’ve got kids at school, and it would be fantastic if they one day wanted to come back to the property in the future, but for now we’ve got plenty left in the tank and enjoy every day on the farm!” he said.

With their proximity to Manildra Group’s Bellata grain storage site, the Fernance’s are thrilled to be working so closely with the family-owned business with Mr Fernance describing Manildra Group’s purchasing of the Bellata grain storage site as “the best thing that has happened to the town and our business operations in years.”

“We love that Manildra Group is a family-owned Australian business and you can really see that in their relationship between their staff on-site and relationships with growers.”

“We are so lucky to have such close access to efficient and local storage solutions for our high-protein wheat,” he said.

Manildra Group Head Grain Buyer Peter Sloan said the Fernance’s were great operators and a delight to work so closely with.

“They do a great job each season, these are the kind of relationships we try to cultivate at Manildra Group – long lasting, genuine business relationships where we all do right by each other,” Mr Sloan said.

The Fernance’s high-protein wheat is sent by rail to Manildra Group’s world-class Shoalhaven Starches site located in the south coast town of Nowra, New South Wales, where it is used to make a variety of end products for a wide range of customers in Australia and across the globe.

“We seek out the best high-protein wheat on the market to ensure we can mill the best flour to make the most versatile range of products,” said Mr Sloan.

“As we look back on seven decades of Manildra Group history, we reflect on our long-standing business relationships and communities in which we operate. It is these partnerships that enable us to succeed as a family-owned business through the unpredictable nature of agriculture so we can forge the foundations of our shared success,”
said Mr Sloan.

To contact Manildra Group’s wheat grain specialists, phone 1300 MANILDRA.

A Toast to Diageo for Lifting Aussie Spirits

Some like it neat, others with a twist, and then there’s those loyal to luxe liquors from more than 200 brands made by global beverage alcohol company Diageo – and enjoyed by 1.5 million Australians every year.

Distributing throughout more than 180 countries, Diageo boasts some of the world’s most-recognised and top-shelf tipples including Gordon’s gin, Smirnoff vodka, Johnnie Walker Scotch whisky, and the quintessential Australian spirit of Bundaberg Rum.

In Australia, more than 80 per cent of the Diageo brand beverages sold nationwide are made at their iconic Bundaberg Rum Distillery in Queensland and world-class New South Wales facility in Sydney’s west.

“At our Bundaberg distillery, we purchase 15,000 tonnes of molasses each year from local farmers and then return 100 per cent of the dunder left over from our distilling process as farming fertiliser,” said Diageo Managing Director Angus McPherson.

The popular Smirnoff vodkas, premium Gordon’s gins, pioneering UDL brand and ready-to-drink (RTD) range are made domestically using the highest-purity grain neutral spirits – sustainably produced from 100 per cent GMO-free Australian wheat at the Australian family-owned Manildra Group’s world-class distillery in Nowra, New South Wales.

Established in 1864, Smirnoff’s award-winning robust flavours make it the world’s number one vodka, alongside Gordon’s as the highest- selling gin globally, with more than seven million cases in 2021.

Manildra Group’s premium grain neutral spirit is the blank canvas base for Smirnoff’s Red bottled spirit, Smirnoff Red, and Double Black Ice RTDs; Gordon’s bottled spirit, Gordon’s Pink, Gin and Tonic RTDs, and UDL flavours ranging from passionfruit to mojito.

“It’s important for Diageo to partner with a reliable local supplier who is open to feedback and aligned to improving the sensory profile of the grain neutral spirit to meet our highest-quality specifications,” Mr McPherson told The Cultivator.

Amid the challenges of pandemic-era global supply chain disruptions, Mr McPherson said Manildra Group’s business agility to ensure consistency and quality of their grain neural spirits produced at the state-of-the-art distillery, was much-valued by the Diageo team as integral to upholding corporate principles of resilience, innovation, service, and performance.

“Security of supply, and the reliability of inputs, has never been more important and we have always been able to rely on Manildra Group to consistently deliver a high-quality liquid to our site, in full and on time,” said Mr McPherson.

Manildra Group was named the 2022 Spirit of Progress winner among regional and international contributors at Diageo’s Asia Pacific Awards for pioneering grain-to-glass sustainability, championing inclusion and diversity, and promoting discerned drinking.

Working in partnership with suppliers and customers, Diageo’s holistic approach to sustainability encompassed social, environmental, and economic stewardship, said Mr McPherson.

“Our continued long-term success depends on the people and planet around us, and we’re committed to making our supply chain more sustainable, whilst having positive environmental and social impacts,” he said in a nod to Manildra Group’s continuous innovation and investment in their zero-waste process underpinning the world-class Nowra site.

Focusing on positive impacts for the planet, consumers and communities, Diageo’s Society 2030: Spirit of Progress plan incorporates carbon emissions, water conservation, packaging and waste, inclusion and diversity, and promotion of discerned drinking literacy. Their achievements range from reducing water use by 30 per cent at the Bundaberg distillery in the past five years, to educating more 140,000 Australian teenagers on the dangers of underage drinking and reaching five million Australians with messages about moderation.

Diageo continues to push the boundaries in launching Gordon’s 0.0 per cent – an alcohol-free version of the signature Gordon’s London Dry, with distilled botanicals – and investing a significant majority shareholding in Seedlip as the world’s first distilled non-alcoholic spirits brand.

For the customers core to Diageo’s business, the beverage portfolio spans a spectrum of tastes and occasions on par with the latest trends of premiumisation, hyper-localised drinking, alcohol-free ‘spirits’ and high-end RTDs.

“Whether it is alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages, consumers are prioritising quality over quantity and valuing experiences,” said Mr McPherson.

“Taste and quality should never be compromised and finding new ways to reach markets has motivated us to become more creative and innovative than ever.”

Working with more than 40,000 Australian bars, hotels, restaurants and bottle shops, Diageo is backed by brands at every price point for the strength, speed, and diversity to prosper in an evolving drinks market.

Head of Ethanol Debbie Forster said Manildra Group was honoured to be recognised at the 2022 Diageo Supplier Awards and appreciated their strong, long-term, and trusted relationship.

“We take the greatest pride in crafting to perfection superior grain neutral spirits that meet Diageo’s expectations,” she told The Cultivator, praising the ethanol teams unrelenting commitment daily to provide exceptional service and customer-focused solutions.

“Diageo’s exalted position in the world of spirits is based on iconic products unrivalled in terms of exceptional quality, enticing flavours and outstanding consistency.

“Like Manildra Group, Diageo embraces an entrepreneurial spirit while striving to push their Australian business, brands, and products even further, lifting up their people and nurturing an environmental legacy,” said Ms Forster.

Manildra Digs Deep for Australian Red Cross Flood Appeal

Manildra Group was proud to support Australian Red Cross and their coordinators for the disaster appeal and recovery process, across Queensland and New South Wales communities, impacted by destructive flooding in early 2022.

Manildra Group donated $100,000 to Australian Red Cross, helping hundreds of flood-affected communities in the immediate response, and through the recovery process, delivering positive economic, social, and long-term impacts to those in need.

Australian Red Cross Partnerships Belle Gallop said Manildra Group’s generous donation enabled the charity to be on-the-ground during a crisis like the recent devastating floods, every step of the way.

“It helped to provide services to those in need, from assisting with evacuations, managing relief centres and outreach services, delivering psychosocial support, providing bereavement grants and immediate cash assistance,” said Ms Gallop.

The donation additionally supported resilience projects to help at-risk communities be better prepared for future disasters.

In early February 2022, intense rainfall, and storms ravaged communities, damaging homes, and destroying belongings. More than one million Australians were impacted, with thousands evacuated and the region facing years of rebuilding.

Ms Gallop told The Cultivator that support from businesses like Manildra Group are integral in providing comfort and care, to communities whilst alleviating pain and hardship.

Manildra Group Director Caroline Honan said it was rewarding to support the Australian Red Cross, a charity that works side by side with Australians through crises.

“The scale of devastation and destruction during the floods was immense, and it was heart-warming to support the Australian Red Cross to deliver vital services to those who need it most,” she said.

Ms Honan extended Manildra Group’s support and gratitude to the emergency services, partners and volunteers who were on the ground working day and night.

With a mission to reduce and prevent human suffering, Australian Red Cross is part of the world’s largest humanitarian movement, operating in over 191 countries with 17 million volunteers globally.

To donate to Australian Red Cross visit redcross.org.au or call 1800 733 276.