Victoria Fast-Tracks $300 Million Frozen Potato Factory At Dooen
Dutch-based potato processor Farm Frites will establish its first Australian production facility in Dooen, Victoria, following official approval by the Victorian Government. The project, valued at A$300 million (approx. €185 million), was fast-tracked under the state’s Development Facilitation Program and is expected to create 250 regional jobs once operational.
The company will construct its new plant within the Wimmera Agriculture and Logistics Hub, eight kilometres north-east of Horsham. According to Invest Victoria, the new site will serve as Farm Frites’ Asia-Pacific headquarters and manufacturing base, strengthening Australia’s position in the global potato processing supply chain.
In announcing the investment, Victoria’s Minister for Economic Growth and Jobs Danny Pearson said:
“We’re proudly backing companies to invest in advanced manufacturing because we know it is key to unlocking economic growth and creating more opportunities for all Victorians.”
Farm Frites Australia General Manager Kieran Prestidge said the location offered a competitive advantage for domestic supply and export.
“Dooen is perfectly located between the best growing regions in Australia and has excellent road and rail links, which will help us put more Australian produce on plates and tables all around the country,” he said.
The Horsham Rural City Council welcomed the announcement as a major win for the region’s agri-food economy.
“This is a huge tick of approval for our agricultural community and demonstrates that Horsham is a prime location for high-value manufacturing,” the Council stated.
Once operational, the facility will process up to 250,000 tonnes of Australian-grown potatoes annually, producing frozen potato products for food-service and retail markets. Construction is expected to begin in 2026, with production scheduled for 2027.
Farm Frites, founded in 1971 and headquartered in Oudenhoorn, the Netherlands, supplies frozen potato products to over 100 countries and partners with leading quick-service restaurant chains worldwide.
The Dooen investment marks one of the largest regional food-manufacturing projects in Victoria in recent years, reflecting the government’s commitment to expanding advanced food processing and local value-addition across the state.
