PEANUT PROCESSING PLANTS SAVED: Bega Sells Kingaroy and Tolga Sites to Family Business in Last-Ditch Bid to Rescue Queensland’s Peanut Industry
- Bega Group sells peanut processing plants in Kingaroy and Tolga to Crumpton Group in a deal that could save the state’s peanut industry
- The sale includes land, buildings, and equipment, and will see some former staff re-hired by the new owners
- The move comes after Bega announced plans to shut down the plants in July, leaving farmers and employees in limbo
In a dramatic turn of events, the Bega Group has sold its peanut processing plants in Kingaroy and Tolga to the Crumpton Group, a family-owned business with a long history of processing peanuts. The deal, which includes the sale of land, buildings, and equipment, has been hailed as a lifeline for Queensland’s peanut industry.
Pete Findlay, Bega’s chief executive, said the group had been looking for a solution to ensure the industry had a way forward, and that the sale to Crumpton would benefit the communities, farmers, and employees. “We’re selling the properties around Kingaroy and Tolga to Crumpton, so they’ll look to utilise those properties in future peanut processing,” he said.
Sonie Crumpton, the general manager of Crumpton Group, said the company had bought the assets to give the industry a way forward. “We’re definitely going to re-hire some of those staff, but at the moment I don’t know who that will be,” he said. The company has been processing peanuts for decades and produces a range of products, including raw and roasted peanuts, peanut butter, and peanut oil.
The sale has provided hope for peanut growers and workers in Kingaroy and Tolga, who were left in limbo when Bega announced plans to shut down the plants in July. Richard Standen, a peanut farmer from Tolga, welcomed the news, saying it sounded “very positive” for the industry. “We just need to get down to the details, I guess, and find out exactly what we’re being offered,” he said.
The deal is expected to provide a significant boost to Crumpton Group’s business, with Sonie Crumpton saying it would allow the company to comfortably handle the entire Australian crop. The sale is seen as a major win for the peanut industry, and comes after weeks of uncertainty and concern for the future of the industry in Queensland.