Whether it be our long-term contracts with Australian mango growers; our supply contracts with premium juice manufacturers or our stabilised fruit preparations with berries sourced across the globe, Tropico has always been committed to building long-term business partnerships aimed at adding value to all stakeholders.
OUR HISTORY
MORE THAN 40 YEARS IN THE MAKING
One of Australia’s leading processors of 100% Australian tropical fruits, Tropico Fruits Pty Ltd commenced operations at Palmwoods on the Sunshine Coast in 1980. Tropico is member of the ICM Australia Group of Companies.
The ICM Australia Group is a 100% privately-owned Australian group with a large agribusiness portfolio of diverse companies. It includes the production and marketing of a wide range of goods including cereals, horticulture, beef and dairy products, wool and cashmere. The site at Palmwoods that Tropico had occupied for almost 40 years, was once a large orchard. The business originally started operations as Sunshine Coast Citrus Pty Ltd supplying fresh juice products locally, to Brisbane and eventually across Queensland. As the capabilities grew, we attracted the interests of Australian juice powerhouse Berri, who eventually acquired the business in 1988 and we started packing the Daily Juice brand on behalf of Berri. Operations expanded and in 1990, the company installed an aseptic UHT plant and packaging line and commenced processing and manufacturing a range of tropical fruit juices and purees. In 1994, Filipino brewer San Miguel acquired Berri which was later bought by National Foods (now LION). |
However, Tropico and the plant at Palmwoods were split off and retained by ICM.
The Tropico site continued to process and supply a wide range of tropical fruit juices and purees as well as citrus, berry and stone fruits, which were sold to Berri and a large number of Australian beverage companies on contract. In 2007, Tropico expanded its capability by acquiring Fruit Ingredients Australia, a Murwillumbah NSW-based processing and manufacturing business producing a number of fruit-based products. Subsequently, Tropico expanded that capability to manufacture stabilised fruit preparations for both dairy and bakery industries. In 2018, Tropico moved to a new, purpose-built factory at Yandina and built an aseptic tote Line for the production of stabilised fruit preparations. |
SUMMER MEANS MANGO MADNESS
TROPICO DEDICATES SIX MONTHS TO PREMIUM-QUALITY MANGO
Australia produces more than 60,000 tonnes* of mango
very year. The season starts mid-September extending to mid-April. From the moment the first truckload of mango from the Northern Territory arrives at Tropico in September, processing starts in earnest with teams working around the clock to ensure the fruit is processed at the optimum time. Processing winds down in March with late varieties like Honey Gold from Queensland. We are especially proud of our ability to source the Kensington Pride mango, one of the most sought-after varieties in the food and beverage sector. This medium-sized, soft, sweet and tangy fruit has golden flesh and rich, orange skin. It often has a pink-red blush and is available all summer. The original Kensington Pride tree was grown in Bowen, Queensland, where it was also given the name Pride of Bowen and Bowen Special, or Kensington. It was possibly brought to Bowen by traders who were shipping horses for military use in India. Kensington Pride was recognised for its flavour and became the most widely grown commercial mango in Australia and remains so today despite the introduction of other varieties. It is grown in the lush green tropical and sub-tropical regions of the country as well as more arid areas of Western Australia and the Northern Territory with its wet season. * Australian Mango Industry Association Ltd. |
SOURCING OUR FRUIT
FRUIT FROM GLOBAL PADDOCKS PROCESSED AT YANDINA
With extensive experience in agriculture, our Supply Chain Team regularly travels around Australia, visiting with farmers to source varieties of each fruit according to customer requirements.
We procure many varieties of mangoes from as far west as Kununurra in Western Australia through to the Northern Territory and the eastern seaboard of Queensland. The Kensington Pride mango remains our pride and joy. But we don’t stop there. We process many other varieties of fruit such as pineapple, passionfruit, raspberry, blueberry, strawberry and guava – to name just a few. Tropico, together with its logistics providers and growers endeavour to source the best fruit available. To do this, we have an ongoing supplier accreditation program ensuring traceability and compliance with our strict guidelines. Not only do we travel Australia but we travel the world to source the best fruit for our customers. Whether it be seed-in, hand-scooped passionfruit puree from Ecuador, wild blackberry juice concentrate from Europe or organic blueberries from Chile, we have the expertise to select premium fruits from top-quality, accredited growers. |