Dutch potato product manufacturer Farm Frites has unveiled plans to set up its first production facility in Australia.
The plant will be located in Dooen in Victoria’s Wimmera district with an investment of around A$440m ($276.8m), the family-owned company explained on its website.
Farm Frites has previously sourced its products from its European factories in the Netherlands, Belgium and Poland. The company’s Australian distributors include Bidfood, Metcash, and PFD Food Services.
The planned 30-hectare facility will feature unloading and storage areas for potatoes, a closed conveyor system for transporting them to the factory, and a production line for converting raw potatoes into frozen products.
Its portfolio includes fries, wedges, hashbrowns and onion rings supplied to the foodservice sector.
Farm Frites said it requires two key approvals for the project: a planning permit from Australia’s Minister for Planning – supported by the Horsham Rural City Council and the State Government’s Development Facilitation Programme – and a Development Licence from the Environment Protection Authority Victoria.
Pending approvals, construction is set to begin in late 2025 or early 2026, with production expected to commence in early 2027. Around 245 on-site and sales jobs will be created with the Dooen plant, the company said.
According to Farm Frites Australia, Dooen is “perfectly” located between the “best potato growing regions” of Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia.
The location, in addition to Dooen’s connectivity to the national road freight and rail network, “make it the right place for our first Australian factory”, it added.
Located 9km from Horsham city, the Dooen site is part of the Wimmera Intermodal Freight Terminal and the Wimmera Agriculture and Logistics Hub.
Horsham Rural City Council has “welcomed” Farm Frites Australia’s decision to set up its first manufacturing plant at Dooen’s WAL Hub.
Mayor Ian Ross said: “Farm Frites’ decision to invest in Dooen follows a nationwide search and highlights the region’s proud agricultural history and excellent connections to road and rail.”
