Hopes high for future of banana firm

A FAMOUS Far North community-owned banana farm is expected to pick up new operators after recently slipping into voluntary liquidation.

The decision to place the Hope Vale Banana Farm into liquidation comes after multinational fruit producer Dole Food Company, which was operating the facility as part of a joint venture arrangement, pulled out of Australia.

The Hope Vale co-operative’s Cairns-based solicitor, John Bottoms, said discussions were under way to secure a new company to enter a joint partnership and run the farm.

“The joint venture company is being wound up, which reflects Dole’s withdrawal from Australia in March 2016,” Mr Bottoms said.

Contractors will now be employed for a three-week period to “tidy up” the farm, while negotiations, organised through Cape York Partnerships, continue with a potential new operator.

The farm has had a turbulent few years, with Cyclone Nathan flattening 30 per cent of its bananas in 2015. At the time, it had only just recovered from losing 95 per cent of its crop to Cyclone Ita’s violent winds the previous year.

Hope Vale Mayor Greg McLean said he was confident the farm would be around for a long time to come.

“It’ll be up and running again in no time,” he said.

About 40 staff are believed to work on the farm during normal operations.