Improving the efficiency of Kakadu Plum/Gubinge value chains to grow a robust and sustainable industry

This project brought together existing partners – The University of Queensland’s Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (UQ QAAFI) and Kindred Spirits Enterprises – Traditional Homeland Enterprises (T.H.E.) – to review the existing value chains within the established Kakadu Plum (KP)/Gubinge (Terminalia ferdinandiana) industry. The aim was to address the challenge of supplying consistently-high quality KP/Gubinge products, thereby improving supply reliability, enhancing market access, and fostering customer loyalty. Aboriginal suppliers of KP/Gubinge from the Thamarrurr Region in the Northern Territory and the Kimberley region of Western Australia collaborated with researchers to conduct a comprehensive review of the value chain. This included mapping, analysing and identifying efficiencies, as well as pinpointing impediments and developing solutions to overcome them. Innovative approaches to local processing and fruit quality maintenance were trialled, and new commercial applications were developed. In addition to identifying improvements in production and facilities, the project also developed training tools covering product costing, businesses start-up guidance, hygienic food processing, and quality assurance.

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