Page 17 - Queensland Country Life Spring Property Guide

. Thursday September 30, 2021 SPECIAL PUBLICATION 17
NEWS
Plantation ripe for picking

BY MARIAN MACDONALD massive growth potential for
the business, which picks
THE opportunity to buy an about 200 tonnes of achacha
achacha plantation doesn't fruit a year.
crop up everyday because Established sales through
there's only one commercial wholesale markets in Syd-
operation in Australia, and ney, Melbourne, Brisbane
it may even be the oldest in are paired with exports to
the world. the United Kingdom, Eu-
Building the 15,000-tree rope, Middle East, Asia and
plantation at Mount Sur- North America.
round has been nothing About 30 per cent of the
short of an adventure for fruit is discarded but he said
managers and major share- it could be used for a range of
holders Bruce and Hel- new products.
en Hill. Moving back to Sydney
The couple came across would be bittersweet for
the tangy relative to the man- the Hills.
gosteen in Bolivian back- "My wife and I are not
yards decades ago. spring chickens and we've
"Iwasamazedthatthefruit got a grandson in Sydney.
was being sold on street cor- We've got an established op-
ners, but not even known in eration, established markets
the capital, La Paz," he said. and established marketing,"
The egg-shaped tropical Mr Hills said.
fruit is native to the Bolivi- The property sale includes
an lowlands and under its plant breeders rights, giving
firm orange skin is a tangy UNIQUE: Bruce and Helen Hill in the Achacha plantation at Mount Surround near Townsville, which is accepting sole rights to commercial-
white pulp. expressions of interest to buy. ise the achacha in Australia
The Hills brought some until 2036, 3000 African Ma-
achachatoSydneyforfriends we had a farmer up here to installed an irrigation system Then came a nervous wait. organic and biodynamic hogany windbreak trees, 60
to test and, after positive get it going." and began planting. The viability of the seed after production systems saw the mango trees and a variety of
feedback, began to import Convinced the fruit had The property has plenty of its treatment by customs of- Hills and their farmer part tropical fruit species. Expres-
seed in 2003. potential, the Hills bought water. With a Sunwater allo- ficials was unknown, but the ways and the couple relocat- sions of interest have already
"And there we were," Mr an old sugar plantation, cation of 535 megalitres, it first fruit crop was harvested ed to the Mount Surround been invited and for any fur-
Hill said. "Helen and I organ- while the farmer levelled uses less than 100ML annu- six years later in 2009. property in 2012. ther information contact Bill
ized everything from Sydney; the 101-hectare property, ally and the surplus is sold. A decision to shift to Mr Hill said there was still Micola on 0418 778 674.

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during the spring period

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