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Aquaculture high on list of innovation grants
The Australian seafood industry will be boosted by inclusion on the list of the first grant recipients under the Federal Government’s $35 million Regional Food Producers Innovation and Productivity Program.
The four-year, $35 million Regional Food Producers Innovation and Productivity Program (RFPIPP) aims to boost the productivity and competitiveness of Australia’s regional food and seafood industries through innovation and technology improvements.
$10 million of the $35 million will be set aside for the seafood industry.
Under the program, matched-funding grants, generally between $50,000 and $2 million, are available for food and seafood businesses to undertake projects based around one or more of the following activities:
· the design and implementation of new technologies, production or processing techniques
· the adoption of food production or processing technologies developed overseas
· the innovative redesign of existing production/processing lines to improve efficiencies and productivity.
Seafood based grant recipients are:
South Australia
Kangaroo Island Shellfish Pty Ltd, American River — $35,000
Kangaroo Island Shellfish’s project is based around the innovative re-design of oyster washing/processing technology, providing greater throughput and efficiency.
Tasmania
Spring Bay Seafoods Pty Ltd, Triabunna — $236,808
Spring Bay Seafoods will use its funding to adopt thermal processing technology for manufacturing a range of flavoured mussel products with an extended shelf-life.
Redrock Lobster Pty Ltd, Smithton — $200,000
Redrock Lobster’s project involves the adoption of centralised electrical automation technology—including variable speed compressors and frequency controllers—in its seafood processing line.
Tassal Group Limited, Huonville — $727,031
Tassal Group Limited will use its grant funding to adopt innovative automated fillet trimming equipment from Iceland into the Tassal Group’s Huonville processing facility.
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