Wagga fruit and vegetable supplier Ezy Fresh has been announced as one of seven NSW companies to receive a low-interest loan from the State Government. Photo: iStock/VeselovaElena.
Wagga’s own wholesale fruit and vegetable company Ezy Fresh has been listed as one of seven NSW businesses to win a low-interest loan from the State Government.
As part of the NSW Government’s Regional Development Roadmap, Ezy Fresh’s loan has been awarded to help boost the productivity of Wagga Wagga while also creating jobs and building the region’s advanced manufacturing capabilities.
Member for Wagga Wagga Dr Joe McGirr highlighted the opportunities that Ezy Fresh has provided to the region and the significance of the loan it secured.
“Ezy Fresh is a great family business that has been operating in Wagga for more than 40 years and its success in securing a low-interest loan is a vote of confidence in the company and the region,” he said.
“The potential to create jobs and investment in the food and beverage sector is almost unlimited and this loan is the catalyst that Ezy Fresh needs to diversify and expand, employing more local people and creating flow-on benefits for the wider economy.
“This support to the company shows how governments can support good businesses to become even better and I hope other local businesses also get opportunities to diversify and grow with similar support from the government.”
Ezy Fresh provides a wide range of fruit and vegetables for the entirety of Australia and plans to use the loan to diversify its product range to include elongated-cut products such as vegetable sticks.
The loan program was made possible under the Regional Development Amendment Act, which will modernise the government’s approach to regional development and investment.
Under the $5 million pilot program, the loans can be used for projects such as installing automated production lines, upgrading bottling lines, or buying equipment that will enable products to be exported more efficiently.
Minister for Agriculture and Regional NSW Tara Moriarty said the government was committed to strengthening the farming sector and regional economies by encouraging and assisting local businesses, including by providing low-interest loans to the food and beverage manufacturing sector.
”We are always willing to support businesses that add value to local produce, expand their production capacity and employ locals,” Ms Moriarty said.
“Last year, the sector across NSW had an annual turnover of $42.5 billion and employed more than 66,000 people.
“Ezy Fresh is one of the region’s success stories and the government is committed to helping businesses like this grow, create more jobs and benefit local producers and the community.”
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