Harvest Road eyes new aquaculture opportunities

 As the new kid on the aquaculture block, Harvest Road Group has outlined exciting plans to expand its operations and build capacity for the State’s regional centres by growing Western Australia’s capacity and reputation as a sustainable and efficient source of food protein in years to come.

With aquaculture bases in Albany, Perth and Carnarvon already established, the company is now looking at further opportunities to build its burgeoning protein food company.

Harvest Road Group Chief Executive Officer, Greg Harvey, said the company’s land-based food operations through Harvey Beef were already well known and established, so the move into aquaculture is a logical step forward.

“When Harvest Road was formed a couple of years ago it set a strategy to move into aquaculture as part of its overall protein food vision. It makes absolute sense to leverage our Harvey Beef business as a pathway into well-managed sustainable aquaculture.”

Further expansion will include the addition of new aquaculture species as well as downstream activities, such as value-added processing, which will form part of an integrated value chain.

The company is also exploring non-traditional extensions to generate revenues and enhance community understanding of the role aquaculture plays as a source of sustainable seafood.

While the company is focussed on creating direct employment on its projects it is also investing in communities to provide long term growth and opportunities for indirect industries, such as local fabrication and food service.

“Tourism also presents some interesting opportunities and has a role to play moving forward. We are working closely with the Albany community to develop this at our recently purchased assets at Emu Point,” Greg said.

The plans are good news for Western Australia’s regional communities which will be home for the newly created jobs.

Justin Welsh, Harvest Road General Manager Aquaculture said “We have regional aquaculture operations in Albany and Carnarvon, with land-based protein being grown in other rural areas, so we are already well embedded in regional development, but there’s more to come.

Justin Welsh, General Manager Aquaculture

“Shellfish are inherently sustainable, and we continue to use best practices to ensure this focus on sustainability is prioritised throughout the supply chain.

“We are also keen to develop fin fish aquaculture and believe that WA is strategically well-located to supply high quality seafood products to both the domestic and export markets.”

Sustainability is a key foundation for growth.

“Our investments and business decisions are evaluated for both their sustainability and commercial potential and must tick both boxes.

As an end-to-end producer, all our food must be 100 percent traceable, sustainable and ethically produced. It’s at the heart of all our decision making,” Justin added.

Harvest Road’s aquaculture operations at Emu Point, Albany