At last Coles already has its own brands grown and processed in Tasmania by Simplot at Devonport but they were in process of moving to New Zealand like all the other processing plants - except another Simplot has on mainland Vic/Nsw farmers supply and this too was in same position. And now our farmers here in Tassie have a better future as Woolworths have decided to use Simplot and our farmers for their selct brand of frozen veggies, via Simplot and Devonport.

So no worries also not having any imported frozen veggies from anywhere including New Zealand as they have a FTA with China and are using their veggies they say when none available locally but seeing as cheaper - bit dodgy to rely on that! These days all that seems to matter if profit and if they kill off the consumer. Well hard cheese.

(BTW why are we trying to get a FTA with China anyway seems Labor was negotiating for 5 years and now Coalition is taking it on - sticking point is our hygene and humane rules for abattoirs again. 

I ask - because seems to me we dont need one everywhere you go cant buy Aussie much all made in China anyway- frustrating as we make everything better and grow fresh uncontaminated too and their middle class buy ours not their own)

Australia's biggest supermarket retailer will cease imports of frozen vegetables from China, Europe and New Zealand and has instead committed to buying an extra 5100 tonnes a year of frozen peas, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and mixed vegetables from the Devonport plant of Simplot, Australia's only remaining major frozen vegetable processor, from May next year.

The change will see the 96 per cent of imported frozen vegetables sold by Woolworths under its most popular Select own-brand labels replaced with locally grown frozen vegetables.

The $17 million deal boosts guaranteed sales from Simplot's threatened Devonport plant, where more than 200 local jobs are at stake, by an amount equivalent to 10 per cent of the facility's capacity.

It will also hand Simplot's 155 contracted local farmers, such as Wesley Vale's Stuart Greenhill, the opportunity to expand their vegetable production by an estimated 650ha across northwest Tasmania.

NSW farmers who supply Edgell's corn factory at Bathurst will benefit too, from Woolworths' axing of imports, with their production also supplying parent company Simplot with sweet corn for its frozen mixed vegetable range.

But Simplot's managing director Terry O'Brien told The Australian yesterday that the company would still have to announce jobs cuts at its Devonport plant next week in an effort to bring down processing costs, despite the Woolworths deal.

"We don't think buying (frozen vegetables) from us just because we are Australian grown is sustainable for Woolworths -- or any buyer -- in the long term; we want them to want our product because it is financially attractive too," Mr O'Brien said.

"To do that we have to bring down the costs of processing at Devonport; and the only way we can do that will involve new machinery, new processing methods and significantly less labour."

Woolworths managing director Tjeerd Jegen said the move to all-Australian grown frozen vegetables was driven by marked consumer pressure and preference for local food.

It follows the unexpected success for Woolworths of switching its own-brand tinned fruit from South African imports to Goulburn Valley peaches, apricot and pears in May, which saw total sales immediately jump 40 per cent nationally. But Mr Jegen said the supermarket chain also wanted to balance preference for Australian grown food with keeping prices for customers low.

"Our customers are passionate about great Aussie-grown food, and so are we," Mr Jegen said.

Mr Jegen admitted to The Australian that the switch to only Australian-grown frozen vegetables -- to be announced this morning in Devonport -- reversed a poor decision made five years ago to buy cheaper imported frozen vegetables.

He said the default position now for Woolworths would always be Australian-grown fresh and processed food products first; not just for fruit, meat, dairy and vegetables but also for packaged goods such as muesli.

Woolworths stocks 39 lines of Select frozen vegetables, 11 of which are Australian-sourced. The new deal with Simplot moves 17 product lines to Australia that were previously imported, most from low-cost New Zealand.

A delighted Mr Greenhill, whose family has grown peas, potatoes, broccoli, carrots and cauliflower for Simplot's own line of Birdseye frozen vegetables for 30 years, said Tasmanian growers were ready to meet the challenge of providing extra produce.

"This is absolutely fantastic; it's good for growers and its good for Simplot -- it gives the (Devonport) factory a much better future and we want Simplot to continue doing business in Tasmania," Mr Greenhill said. "Farmers in Tasmania stand ready to increase our production."

Mr Greenhill, who farms on 400ha of rich deep red soils near Devonport, also welcomed Woolworths' pledge that it would not beat Simplot down too hard on price, resulting in farmers being paid less.

"Prices are always challenging for both sides, but we also understand that Simplot and Woolworths are under pressure too; as commodity producers we have to accept that prices will fluctuate so it's about being able to make (profit) margins at those price levels."

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I have posted full article as firewalled and Geomac complained.

So happy frozen Aussie shopping at Coles or Woolworths own brands.  Keeping the money in Australia and the income tax of the workers and producers as well as farmers will ensure we all have services and pensions paid for in the future pity they dont teach the younger ones this at school eh! Because the always tell me when I point this out - cheaper to buy Chinese etc and never think of their health or future or their childrens.........