Beaut fruit awarded gold
Sweet red papaya wins industry medal
A FAR North Queensland papaya producer has been given the ultimate industry nod of approval for its fruit.
Workers at Skybury Tropical Plantation are celebrating after the Tablelands site took out a gold medal at this week’s delicious. Produce Awards in the From the Earth division.
The 162ha property just outside of Mareeba has been running for more than 15 years and grows both papaya and coffee.
Skybury Tropical Plantation was nominated for the prestigious award by Port Douglas chef Spencer Patrick of Harrisons.
“We were stunned but mostly pleased really,” Candy MacLaughlin of Skybury Tropical Plantation said.
“It’s a recognition of our hard work and more than anything it confirms that we’re on the right track.
“We grow the paw paws, we sell them, we get feedback, but if the industry says ‘yes, you are doing well’ then we know that we’re heading in the right direction.”
The locally grown sweet red papaya was also showcased at the awards gala event in Sydney, forming part of the evening’s menu.
“We actually hand picked and air freighted papaya down For those who may have not eaten papaya before, Ms MacLaughlin has some tips. “Put it in a smoothie, it makes a great filler, it won’t overrun the taste of anything else,” she said. “Otherwise, take some lime, cut the paw in half, deseed it and squeeze the lime over it. The citrus cuts through the papaya and that’s my best way of eating it. “Fresh lime and papaya, they’re a match made in heaven.” for the evening,” Ms MacLaughlin said.
Along with introducing double cropping in recent years, planting paw paws and coffee trees in the same line to help reduce water usage and fertiliser, Ms MacLaughlin said they were now looking at increasing sweetness in paw paws, improving shelf life and the look of the paw paws.
“I think the biggest challenge for us is growing the papaya market,” she said.
“There’s still a lot of people out there who haven’t given the fruit a go or don’t know about it and that’s where our biggest efforts are.”
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