Dehydration

2 January 1945 The South Eastern Times (Millicent, SA)

There are now 33 dehydration plants operating in the Commonwealth. 

To-day the annual intake of vegetables to dehydration plants is 67,000 tons, compared with 10,000 tons in June, 1943.

This provided more than 150,000,000 lb., equal to 10,000 tons of dried vegetables.

The estimated production for this year is13,500,000 lb. of dried vegetables. 

The Batlow plant, the second in this rich production area, cost £68,000, of which £46,000 was for buildings and £22,000 for plant.

Labor employed in dehydrators totals.more than 650 men and 11,000 women, and vegetable processing is now absorbing a large proportion of Australia's greatly increased vegetable acreage. 

The saving in transport and weight through dehydration means that an ordinary transport plane can carry sufficient dried food to feed a battalion in a forward area for one week.