Inglewood's plum job

The Queen Garnet plum contains high levels of anthocyanins, a naturally occurring compound that has been linked with improving cardiovascular health and reducing obesity.

Anthocyanin levels in the Queen Garnet are consistently up to 250 milligrams per gram, compared to the Satsuma plum, which contains 50mg/g.

Mr Goodrich is the part-owner of the Good Rich Fruit Company at Warroo, near Inglewood, and has planted 75,000 Queen Garnet plum trees across 60 hectares.

They are preparing to harvest 200 tonnes of the plum in late January, with a portion being sold as fresh fruit for the domestic and export market, as well as to Nutrafruit to produce a range of juices and powders.

Good Rich Fruit Company orchard manager Rowan Berecry said it was an exciting initiative and there was nothing else like it in Australia.

“That’s really why I’m here - it’s so different, it’s not your normal farm, it’s not your normal market, it’s something completely different,” he said.

Mr Goodrich made the decision to start an orchard in order to put his water licence to use.

“We had an underground water licence and asked my friend and ag consultant Hugh McIntosh to try and find me something that was high value per megalitre, mechanised, and not a commodity,” he said.

“I was looking for something that was a specialised industry so that we could stay out of the commodity business and he came up with Queen Garnet.”

Mr Goodrich said the health benefits of the plum and the biological methods used to produce it were an opportunity to give back.

“It feels good – firstly to hopefully have something that is not a commodity because all my businesses are commodities and that’s been unpleasant financially,” he said.

“And secondly, to be doing something that’s actually helpful is very rewarding.”

The Queen Garnet was developed by the Queensland Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

Queensland Agriculture Minister John McVeigh visited the orchard on Friday with Health Minister and Member for the Southern Downs Lawrence Springborg.

Dr McVeigh said scientists have found the high levels of anthocyanins in the Queen Garnet Plum could have considerable health benefits.

“The health food market is growing and we are taking advantage of these opportunities by helping develop new products that will benefit us all,” he said.

“The development of the QGP is a great example of how the state Government is making research and development in agriculture a priority to deliver new market opportunities and sustainability for the sector.”