Food giant McCain has plans to invest USD37m towards expanding its plant located in Smithton, northwest Tasmania, a new report coming from The Advocate revealed.

Following the infusion of capital, the factory will become McCain’s main retail French fry production facility in Australia and New Zealand. The upgrade will be a significant boost for Smithton, its economy and Tasmania as a whole.

Construction is said to start next month and is due for completion by January of 2020. The investment will generate around 60 jobs and USD15m in local trade and labor costs. Rodney McLaren, plant manager at Smithton stated that once the upgrade is completed, the plant will be capable of manufacturing 25 new retail products and provide additional capacity across the entire McCain supply chain. This is the first significant investment since the site was built in 1987.

The report also notes that while it’s great to see McCain invest into the future, it’s important to remember that farmers also need to be supported. The region is currently growing potatoes for less than it did 10 years ago (31.7 cents versus 35 cents).