Fourteen trays of premium mangoes from Bowen arrived in Canberra this week as a delicious reminder of the need to buy Australian produce over the festive season.

Ben Martin from Marto’s Mangoes in Bowen organised for the delivery of 14 trays of premium R2E2 mangoes to be delivered to my office in Parliament House and I gifted them to Ministers who have assisted the Dawson electorate over the last year.

It’s been a particularly tough year for our farmers and fruit and veg growers with the Coronavirus impacting on overseas freight deliveries, as well the number of workers to harvest crops.

Overseas markets literally dried up overnight but Morrison McCormack Government initiatives have helped to secure some access for our premium produce.

In meetings I’ve had with Ben Martin from Marto’s Mangoes in Bowen, he offered to send some of his fantastic R2E2 mangoes down to Canberra, and that has been very enthusiastically received by a number of ministers, including Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack and Agriculture Minister David Littleproud.

As we head into the festive season it’s important to support our Australian producers – whether they’re mango growers or wine makers – when you’re shopping for Christmas and New Year celebrations.

The mango is a Christmas staple in the north – you can’t beat Mango and Onion Salad with the ham.

Bowen’s prime produce was delivered to a number of ministers and their staff as a thank you for various forms of assistance provided to the constituents of Dawson over the past 12 months.