THE new owner of Tasmania's Field Fresh onion operations says it will be business as usual for growers in the Forth area.
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West Australian-based Sumich officially added Field Fresh to its carrot division at the end of the financial year, having paid $10 million for the onion operation.
The president of Sumich's parent company, Northeast Equity Trading, Nick Tana said there would only be marginal variations in what the company did.
"We are not going to make any major changes; we're just going to fine-tune the business," he said.
"In terms of quality aspects - there will be more communication between growers and ourselves, with no third parties.
"We will be a lot more vigilant in terms of what we do, which will be better for them, with better financial outcomes."
Field crews will be talking to growers in the next few weeks, but it is expected the new company will be looking for a similar area under cultivation and tonnage for next season.
Exports were likely to continue into established markets.
"The interest is definitely there, it's a global product and we have to appreciate we are under very heavy competition from New Zealand onions, from European onions and from Egyptian onions," Mr Tana said.
"It's one step at a time - carrots are the first step, onions are the second step. We will see how they pan out and go from there."
Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association vegetable committee chairman Nathan Richardson said Sumich's plan to continue growing onions in Tasmania was a vote of confidence for the state.
"Sumich group have great plans for the future and that's where we need to focus on now," he said.
Northern Tasmanian growers said they had heard good things about Sumich and Mr Tana.
Adam Becher, of West Pine, said this season's pack out was around 80 per cent.
"I reckon Sumich will do a good job. I wouldn't have any complaints about Nick Tana, he is pretty straightforward," Mr Becher said.
"He will do the right thing. We are not growing for Sumich this season, but next season we will grow a couple of thousand tonnes."