On The Land
23 December, 2024
Financial support to grow business
CAAMANO Farms in Mareeba are one of the successful fund applicants who received financial support from the Queensland Government’s Backing Business in the Bush Fund to purchase new equipment and upgrade their existing coffee growing site.
The $50 million investment program is supporting small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) like the Caamano’s to undertake projects across regional Queensland.
“This funding is very important to us to set the farm up for expansion,” farm owner Debbie Caamano said.
“We have bought most of our equipment so far second hand, but this money will allow us to get more machinery for the final processing.”
The Government’s Backing Business in the Bush fund has confirmed support for an additional 17 regional businesses with $50 million given in the second round of the fund, bringing the total number of “bush businesses” supported to 35.
Enterprises from Flinders to Fraser Coast have received financial support ranging from $500,000 to up to $2 million each.
The latest round of funding will support companies’ growth plans with the expansion of current facilities, purchasing of new manufacturing equipment and machinery, and the implementation of specialist technology and automation systems.
“We have purchased a harvester, roaster and a complete dry mill with a colour sorter and bagging area,” Debbie said.
“We have been able to seal a portion of the shed with coolroom panels for storage of the beans and there are a multitude of other pieces we will need.
“Without this equipment we could not fully process the coffee unless we were relying on another entity to do this for us.
“Coffee is a seasonal crop and if you are relying on someone else to harvest, your crop could potentially fall on the ground.
“Growing the coffee is only a small part of the process.
The Caamano’s have been farming in Mareeba for decades and have been growing coffee seven years.
“Our farm on Malone Road is 111 acres in total and we have planted 100 acres of it to coffee.
“We bought the farm in 2017 with the plan to grow coffee. Coffee trees take four years to mature, and we currently have trees that are five and three years old.
“We currently have other farms on Leonardi Road and Tinaroo Creek Road which we grow Tahitian Limes and Pomelo. We have been growing citrus for 30 years.
“Growing coffee has been a plan for many years, coffee consumption in Australia far outways the production.
“One of the biggest benefits is that it is machinery harvested which means it is far less labour intensive than citrus.”
