Latest news with #Standen
7NEWS
10-07-2025
- Business
- 7NEWS
Bega to shut peanut processing plants in major blow to regional jobs in Queensland
Bega Group has announced it will wind down its Peanut Company of Australia (PCA) operations at Kingaroy and Tolga over the next 18 months. Up until now, these peanuts ended up in jars of Aussie favourite Bega Peanut Butter. The closure marks the end of an era for Queensland's peanut industry, with an expected impact on around 135 factory workers across the two regional sites, as well as leaving around 60 farmers in limbo. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Bega closing peanut processing plant. Despite investments and upgrades since Bega acquired the business in 2017, PCA has struggled under annual financial losses of $5 million to $10 million, the company said. Attempts to sell the business failed, forcing the company to opt for closure. 'We understand the impact this decision will have and will support employees and growers through this difficult transition,' CEO Pete Findlay said. The decision is a significant blow for local growers such as Richard Standen from Tolga, as PCA was the only buyer for their crops. 'Tolga has no other facility for shelling and storage,' Standen told 7NEWS. 'We're virtually at the end of our industry here unless someone invests but I can't see that happening.' Peanut farming made up about one third of Standen's operation, with the rest in maize and grass seed. He said the closure would hit growers' incomes hard and force many to find alternative crops, a challenge given limited market options. The broader industry has faced rising competition from imports, higher input costs, and stronger returns from other crops — factors pushing production and profitability down. Standen said it was the loss of a family legacy, with generations of his family involved in peanut farming. 'It's gutting. We'd hoped the industry would continue, but the writing's been on the wall for a while,' he said. Organised peanut farming began at Kingaroy in Queensland in 1923. Towering over the town, the Peanut Company has been a pillar of the local economy for decades. With the loss of a more than a century-old agricultural industry, Kingaroy now faces a major setback. The closure has sparked anger in the South Burnett community. 'This is a deeply disappointing blow for the region,' Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington said. 'Bega is a highly profitable multinational company and this decision will devastate the local community, who have been loyal to the brand for many years.' Federal Nationals leader David Littleproud described the move as a major blow for the agricultural sector. 'PCA had been processing 19,000 tonnes of Australian-grown peanuts every year in Queensland,' he said. 'Today is a tough day for Queensland agriculture and Bega's employees and contractors.' Bega will offer redundancies and support to employees at the two sites, the company stated. However, it will retain processing facilities in Crestmead and Malanda. Local businesses linked to the peanut industry, including transport, machinery, and chemical suppliers, are also expected to feel the impact, Standen said. Growers are set to meet with Bega next week to discuss options. The group's portfolio includes well-known brands such as Bega Cheese, Vegemite, Dairy Farmers, Daily Juice, Zooper Dooper, Dare Iced Coffee, Masters, Big M, Mildura Juice, and Zoosh .
BBC News
24-04-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Hampton in Arden couple shocked at free IVF rejection by NHS
A couple said they were shocked and angry after being told they could not get fertility treatment on the NHS because they had previously gone and Gemma Standen, from Hampton in Arden, near Solihull, were referred by their GP for NHS treatment but said, faced with a 12-month waiting list, they decided to get the process started paid £14,000 for their first round of IVF without realising it would disqualify them from getting free treatment.A spokesperson for NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (ICB) said its criteria for accessing NHS-funded IVF services were to ensure fair and effective use of NHS resources." Mrs Standen was told by her consultant at Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield that, because she had already had a round of IVF, she was no longer eligible for free treatment. The policy is the same across much of the West Midlands including Birmingham, the Black Country, Shropshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire. Elsewhere in the country, only two other ICBs will not offer IVF on the NHS after private treatment."It's such a slow process so we decided to do private because wanted to speed it up because of the age," Mr Standen told the BBC, adding that the regional differences were "unfair"."I don't see how they can make that decision and turn around to somebody and say 'that's it, you're not going to have a kid'." A spokesperson for the Birmingham and Solihull ICB said they understood the difficult, emotional journey couples were on when it came to fertility treatment."Criteria for accessing NHS-funded IVF services are set locally and are based on clinical evidence and the needs of our population to ensure fair and effective use of NHS resources," they added."Where there are exceptional clinical circumstances, patients who do not meet this criteria may be referred by their clinician for treatment via an Individual Funding Request."The couple have now paid more than £40,000 for three rounds of IVF which were all unsuccessful. They said they decided to stop trying and instead find contentment with their family as it couple renewed their commitment to each other at BBC CWR's We Still Do celebration in February.
