One of Australia’s leading fresh food marketing groups, Perfection Fresh Australia, has launched a new mushroom processing facility near Melbourne. Perfection Fresh Foods has forged a joint venture partnership with asset management company, Mecrus Pty Ltd, to establish the $10 million purpose-built mushroom facility at Parwan, west of Melbourne near Bacchus Marsh. The facility was officially opened on 12 June, 2012.

The joint venture company called Parwan Valley Mushrooms Pty Ltd is producing 50 tonnes of commodity mushrooms a week from its 9,800 square metre growing surface, high-tech mushroom farm.

The facility was designed and constructed by the world’s largest supplier of turnkey mushroom farms, Christiaens Group, of Holland. The enclosed purpose-built facility features a multiple climate control system designed and installed by Dutch company, Fancom, and a fully automated under-bed irrigation system.

Parwan Valley Mushrooms will produce approximately 2,600 tonnes of predominately white agaricus bisporus mushrooms a year including buttons, cups and flats.

Parwan Valley Mushrooms chief executive officer, Tim Adlington, said the facility was a medium-sized farm in a global sense, incorporating leading-edge mushroom farm technology.

“The world’s most advanced mushroom farm technology, design and construction expertise resides in Holland. Australia does not have the specific design and construction expertise to deliver this type of facility. However, regional Victorian companies were contracted to provide associated infrastructure including earthworks, plumbing and electrical requirements during construction,” Mr Adlington said.

This mushroom venture continues Perfection Fresh’s growing expansion in high-technology intensive horticultural ventures. Perfection Fresh Australia is also a joint volunteer in a major glasshouse tomatoes project based in South Australia with the Victor Smorgon group, as reported in Australian Food News earlier this year.

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