Tuesday, 28 November, 2000 - 21:00
Sumich in biotech rush
THE shell of failed fruit and vegetable exporter Sumich Group is being resurrected as a biotechnology hopeful, joining eight WA companies loosely representing the sector on the stock market.
Sumich started its first market garden in 1944 and within six years, it had moved into wholesaling and established a thriving export business supplying fresh produce to the Royal Navy in Singapore. The business continued to expand with considerable portions of land acquired at Mandogalup, where Sumich still has packing and dispatch facilities. Sumich farms are based in various strategic geographical areas across Western Australia. The main farming operations are located in Manjimup, Myalup, Kwinana, Gingin and Lancelin. This includes the West Hills Farm carrot operation, which processes and packs in excess of 1,000 tonne of carrots per week.
Associated company North East Equity is a major owner of irrigated land.
Sumich also owns and manages more than 1,000 hectares of olive trees in the Moore River Region. With a new state of the art olive oil processing plant located in the heart of more than 800,000 surrounding olive trees, Sumich processes olive oil from over 10 surrounding farms in the Moore River Region.
