In early September, Pat Torres from Mayi Harvest and Leila Nimbadja, Clem Bresson from Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation (Maningrida Wildfoods)  represented NAAKPA at the Global Table Conference in Melbourne.  The conference brought together food producers, processors, manufacturers and retailers to discuss broader issues related to the food sector.

In early September, Leila Nimbadja, Clem Bresson and the Kakadu Plum Business Development Manager (Paul Saeki) visited the food laboratories of the National Measurement Institute (NMI). 

Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation through Maningrida Wild Foods launched their spice mix in September at Charcoal Lane restaurant in Fitzroy Melbourne.  The spice is made in Maningrida using Kakadu plum (billy goat plum or man-marlak- the traditional name for the plum) which is harvested and made into powder locally

In conjunction with the NAAKPA Steering Committee meeting in Broome in mid September, Leila Nimbadja and Junita and Bridgette from Wadeye participated in a pandanis weaving workshop in Broome coordinated by Pat Torres.

Margaret, Stephanie and Elizabeth from Palngun Wurnangat Aboriginal Corporation (PWAC), three key women in coordinating the Kakadu Plum harvest in Wadeye, and Scott from Thamarrurr Development Corporation (TDC), also based in Wadeye flew to Adelaide to meet with Fleurieu Milk

On August 18, 2018, the Northern Australia Aboriginal Kakadu Plum Alliance was formed at a meeting in Broome of eight Aboriginal Corporations harvesting Kakadu Plum. The impetus for the collaboration was the need to consolidate the Kakadu plum supply chain as an industry, which has until recently suffered from supply and demand issues at the producer level. 

Maningrida Wild Foods and Outback Chef will launch their Mardanggich spice mix in Melbourne at charcoal Lane restaurant next week. The spice mix contains Kakadu Plum power and is fully made in Maningrida with locally harvested Mardanggich, meaning Kakadu Plum in the burarra language.

Pat Torres from Mayi Harvests representing NAAKPA  attended the 26th Asia Pacific Food Safety Conference in Sydney on August 21,22 2019. There were nearly 200 delegates from the Food Safety sector in attendance representing food processors, manufacturers and retailers.

Pat Torres (Mayi Harvest & NAAKPA representative) and Paul Saeki (KPBDM ) participated in the Food Manufacturing Tour arranged by the APAC Food Safety Conference on Tuesday, August 20,2019. The tour started with a site visit to Lion Diary and Drinks Smithfield Plant where Lion produces a range of refreshing non-alcoholic beverages from ambient juice options, water and icy summer treats. This includes fresh juices, crushing approximately 75,000 tonnes of fruit from orchards around the country,  distributing packaged products across Australia.

Check out the NAAKPA video
Moogie Down productions (https://moogiedownproductions.com.au/ ) has completed the numerous NAAKPA enterprise videos as well as the main NAAKPA video.

2019 Harvest, Kakadu Plum Powder available
Orders for Kakadu Plum powder from the 2019 harvest are available from these following NAAKPA enterprises;
• Thamarrurr Plums- Thamarrur Developmetn Corporation & Palngun Wurnangat Aboriginal Corporation;
• Mamabulanjin Aboriginal Corporation
• Mayi Harvest
• Kimberley Wild Gubinge

In the past, the volume of Kakadu Plum harvested across northern Australia has not been clearly recorded, with estimations coming in at between 20 to 25 tonnes harvested per annum.  Even though some NAAKPA enterprises are still harvesting, NAAKPA enterprises have harvested more than 20 tonnes in this 2019 season, with a farm gate value of more than $600,000 (AUD).

Mamabulanjin Aboriginal Corporation was awarded $100,000 to establish a two hectare commercial orchard and trial research site for Kakadu Plum (Gubinge) just outside of Broome. 

Kimberley Wild Gubinge a pioneer in processing Gubinge on country on the Dampier Peninsula recently received a boost to their capabilities by being awarded a Value Add Agribusiness Investment Grant. 

Kakadu Plums in the Northern Territory are ready for harvesting.  Following on from the Western Australian harvest visit, a NAAKPA team touched down first in Maningrida to speak with the Maningrida Wildfoods team about billygoat plum (Kakadu Plum) and then to Wadeye (Port Keats) to talk to Thamarrurr Development Corporation and Palngun Wurnangat Aboriginal Corporation about their Mi Mirrarl (Kakadu Plum) harvest. 

This month women from Wadeye, Broome and Maningrida came to Jabiru to meet with senior Mirarr women from Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation talk about Kakadu Plum.

Over 250 women in the Thamarrurr Region have been involved in this year’s plum harvest. The harvest season and collection point at Wadeye has been coordinated by Thamarrurr Development Corporation and Palngun Wurnangat Aboriginal Corporation

Leila Nimbadja took the NAAKPA project team to her country where Bawinanga harvest billygoat plum (Kakadu Plum).  Billygoat plum is just one of many of the bushfoods Maningrida Wildfoods harvest, supplying restaurants and other food wholesalers.

The NAAKPA Steering Committee came together in Darwin on March 21 and 22 for their first face to face meeting since the establishment of the Alliance in August 2018. It was an opportunity to review how the Alliance has performed in its first six months, and consider the value it has delivered to Aboriginal enterprises who make up its members.

Six premiere Perth chefs and restaurants have been approached to experiment with gubinge from the recent Western Australian harvest. 

This week Thamarrur Development Corporation and Palngun Wurnangat Aboriginal Corporation started their harvest of Kakadu plums in the Thamarrurr region.

Associate Professor Daniel Robinson and Dr Margaret Raven from the University of New South Wales presented and facilitated a workshop for the NAAKPA Steering Committee in Darwin.  This involved explaining research and development on plants and animals, patents involving Kakadu Plums, the Nagoya Protocol and Prior Informed Consent.

NAAKPA team visit WA enterprises harvesting gubinge in 2019

Mercedes Cove Aboriginal Corporation harvests gubinge using unique netting technology

Kimberley Wild Gubinge harvesting gubinge from Pender Bay

Lombadina Aboriginal Corporation collecting gubinge harvest on the top of the Dampier Peninsula

Mamabulanjin buying wild harvest gubinge in Broome and has estabished gubinge plantation

Milari Aboriginal Corporation trading as Mayi Harvests harvests and processes gubinge

Mainstream news stories about NAAKPA and NAAKPA members

Bawinanga is progressive Aboriginal corporation based in Maningrida. We Represent the Aboriginal people of the Homelands and 32 Outstations surrounding Maningrida in West Arnhem Land.

Mirarr set up Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation (GAC) in 1995 to help manage a balance between sustainable development, traditional practice and living culture on Mirarr land.

Kimberley Wild Gubinge (KWG) is a Majority Aboriginal Owned business that is located 175km north of Broome on the Dampier Peninsula.

Over the past 5 years in partnership with traditional owners and other communities, Lombadina has picked and sold wild harvested Kakadu Plum and has started growing Kakadu Plum for orchards at Lombadina and at other communities on the Dampier Peninsula.

Mamabulanjin was established in 1985 for the outstation movement to traditional homelands. We provide community based services and operate a gardening business, native tree nursery and two Kakadu plum orchards.

The Mayi Harvests native food business specializes in West Kimberley Wild Foods which are wild harvested on our traditional family lands in Ngumbarl and Jabirr-Jabirr country.

Mercedes Cove Aboriginal Corporation is 100% Aboriginal owned and operated by Family Members. We are 160kms of Broome on the Dampier Peninsula/Ardi Country.

The Thamarrurr Region is located in the western ‘Top End’ of the Northern Territory, in the Tropical Savannas Region. It incorporates approximately 18,000 sq km of relatively intact landscapes.