INDUSTRY NEWS
Investing in almonds
Autumn is a busy time for the almond industry.
Orchards are a hive of activity, as the crop is harvested.
Processors are also hard at work hulling and shelling- work that will continue through winter and sometimes into spring.
Kellie Hollingworth caught up with some of the processors, to find out about upgrades and other initiatives that are set to enhance their operations in 2025 and beyond.
General manager of Costa Brothers Hullers and Shellers Claire Durant says the company has invested in a number of improvements ahead of the 2025 season.
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Your ChoiCe for Superior hulling & Shelling
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Poised
Cracking AVAILABLE NOW
Call TODAY! to meet demand
With increased plantings coming into production, the processing capacity gap is widening within our industry. Our facility can meet the needs of almond growers and take delivery of product now!
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Family
Values
The Costa family has been growing and processing almonds in South Australia for over 50 years. They grow almonds themselves, so know how important your product is and treat it accordingly.
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Quality is Key
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Cutting
Enquiries contact: Ph: 08 8570 3200 Email: office @ costabros. com www. costabros. com
We are highly experienced and respected within the industry for our attention to quality. We treat your product like its our own, and our reputation proves it.
Edge Technology
We continue to invest in technology and state-of-theart equipment to deliver the highest quality product. These investments result in less chipping, breaking and foreign material throughout the entire process.
In A Nutshell- Autumn 2025 Vol 26 Issue 1
A REVAMPED pre-clean area, a new colour sorter, telehandlers, generator and worker accommodation are some of the 2025 improvements for Costa Brothers Hullers and Shellers at Swan Reach. The Fenix 3U Vision is the first four-colour, singlecamera optical sorter developed. The machine manufactured in Italy is capable of identifying defects in similar colour products by simultaneously using red green blue( RGB), high resolution multispectral cameras shortwave infrared( SWIR) spectrum and infrared( IR) optical systems. The company has also poured a substantial amount of concrete in the pre-clean area and reconfigured some of the bays to make them larger. New telehandlers have been acquired for the 2025 season, along with a new generator to run the cracking plant. The general manager of Costa Brothers Hullers and Shellers, Claire Durant, said a record 10,000 tonnes was processed in 2024 and a similar volume is expected to be hulled and shelled this year, with a focus on quality. The plant will operate 24 hours a day, five days per week. There isn’ t a need to run seven days per week, but this can change if required. The two-day rest period also enables any urgent maintenance to be done on weekends. The hullers and shellers is staffed by 10 permanent workers and 10 casuals. The company uses the Pacific Australia Labor Mobility( PALM) scheme for its casual workforce and this season a team from Samoa is returning for their second year.