South Australian Indigenous vegetable grower Nunga Produce has grown its business by double, thanks to its long-term partnership with Coles supermarkets.
Supplying Coles has given Nunga Produce the confidence to expand its operations of growing crops and purchasing vegetables and herbs, by providing the scale and strength of operations required to supply one of the country’s largest supermarkets. In partnership with non-Aboriginal couple Juliette and Nigel Tripodi, co-owners and Indigenous couple Ron and Elizabeth Newchurch said the growth has come with increased staffing for the business, which now includes six additional employees, including three Indigenous team members.
“Working with Coles has been fantastic. Since we started supplying Coles with spring onions in 2016, we have been provided with the security to expand our growing capabilities, while supporting Indigenous employment and mentoring other Aboriginal growers,” Mr Newchurch said.
In its early days, Nunga operated as an enterprise supporting other local Aboriginal farmers to launch economically sustainable businesses, by sharing knowledge to improve the quality of crops and providing a market for their produce.
Now the business supplies a portion of Coles’ state supply of pak choy, as well as more than 3,000 bunches of spring onions in Coles supermarkets in South Australia — an amount which is expected to double next month.
Source: nit.com.au