AUSTRALIAN pulse and small-seed trader and packer JK International (JKI) has made its first investment in regional Queensland by purchasing the Champion Seeds plant at Millmerran, and the Wondai plant previously operated by the Blue Ribbon Group.

Both sites are traditional receival and processing locations for pulses including chickpeas and mungbeans, along with specialty lines of small seeds and coarse grains.

Champion Seeds, on the Darling Downs, was a privately owned business, and the Wondai plant in the South Burnett region ceased operation under the Blue Ribbon banner when the Brisbane-based company went into liquidation in December 2017.

JKI principal, Jiwan Mohan, said both sites were open for business and available now to book pulses, birdseeds and grain.

He said JKI was evaluating the operational efficiency of the plants, and would improve storages and handling equipment to bring graded products up to the standards the contemporary market has come to require.

“While for the moment we will keep them operating as they are, we will begin by putting in some more storage and then see what else needs to be done,” Mr Mohan said.

“We want to start to make improvements to enhance the efficiency of production.”

Both plants  are located in key areas for pulses, millets and specialty grains.

The Wondai plant had been bought by Blue Ribbon from HSR Seeds in 2013.

The transfer of ownership of both plants to JKI took place last month.

JKI has operated in Australia since 1979, and is based at Rocklea in Brisbane.

Its JK Milling division at Horsham in Victoria operates one of Australia’s largest pulse processing and packing plants.

JK Milling processing plant at Horsham, Vic.

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