Australia’s almond exports sector is experiencing record-breaking demand, with China and India leading the charge as key markets for the country’s high-quality produce.
Australia’s booming almond industry is driving export growth
According to Rabobank, Australian almond exports have grown at a compound annual rate of 9 per cent over the past decade—outpacing the global average of 5 per cent.
Yet, with only 9.5 per cent of global almond exports, Australia still has significant room for expansion—a fact that Bright Light Agribusiness has capitalised on with smart infrastructure investment and scalable processing solutions.
“The demand is there, and the infrastructure must keep up,” said Stuart Hopkinson, Maintenance and Work Health & Safety Manager at Bright Light Agribusiness.
Situated in Hattah, northwest Victoria, Bright Light is Australia’s largest family-owned almond business, rapidly scaling up to meet global demand with its state-of-the-art Entegra-built processing facilities.
From grain to almonds: Building a world-class operation
The 11,000-acre Bright Light Agribusiness farm—including 7,000 acres of almond trees—was growing wheat just nine years ago.
The first almond trees were planted in 2016, with additional plantings in 2019 leading to a fully integrated orchard-to-export operation.
Starting with a greenfield site allowed Bright Light to optimise efficiency and sustainability from the ground up.
“Because the whole thing is really new, the infrastructure for this farm is very big,” Stuart explained. “We’ve invested in everything from water recycling to large-scale processing to ensure we get it right.”
Now, with seven Entegra-built processing facilities, Bright Light Agribusiness moves seamlessly from orchard to export, processing almonds through each stage of production with maximum efficiency.
Scaling Up with Purpose-Built Processing Infrastructure
Inside Bright Light’s seven new Entegra processing facilities, a team of 50-60 employees ensures premium almonds are prepared for export markets.
From trucks delivering almonds to the stockpad to the pre-cleaning, drying, and hulling process, every stage has been optimised for efficiency and quality control.
“It’s loud, it’s busy, and at times dusty—but everything is documented to ensure the highest quality,” Stuart said.
At the heart of the processing line are 15 high-precision sorters, carefully grading almonds by colour, size, and variety.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2uymV2me5k
Automation & robotics drive export-ready almonds
The final stage of production—where almonds are packaged in 50-pound boxes—relies on robotic automation.
- Automated conveyor belts transport almonds through the final processing stage.
- Robotic palletising ensures precision packaging for export markets.
- Shrink-wrapping technology protects ready-to-ship product for global distribution.
Each pallet holds 36 shrink-wrapped boxes, most bound for China and India, while large bulka-bags of inshell almonds are processed for these same key markets.
Sustainability-Driven Processing: Maximising Byproducts
Bright Light Agribusiness doesn’t just focus on high-yield almond production—sustainability is embedded into every stage of the process.
Two major byproducts—almond hulls and shells—are repurposed to support other agricultural industries.
“We extract every possible value from our almonds,” said Ben Coghill, Stockpad Manager at Bright Light Agribusiness.
Byproduct utilisation
- Milled & unmilled almond hulls → sold to cattle farmers as a high-fibre dietary supplement.
- Ground almond shells → converted into mulch for vineyards and orchards.
- Rainwater capture from Entegra processing facilities → filtered and reused for toilets and handwashing stations.
Expanding to Meet Global Demand
With global demand for almonds soaring, Bright Light Agribusiness has outgrown its Hattah operations.
The company has expanded its footprint to include a 19,000-acre almond farm at Lake Benanee, near Euston, NSW.
But the company’s growth strategy goes beyond orchards—purpose-built infrastructure is key to keeping up with demand.
Future-proofing almond processing
Bright Light’s new Entegra-built facilities were designed with long-term scalability in mind, incorporating:
- CFA-endorsed fire safety planning – including a ring main fire system.
- Extra stockpile holding capacity – ensuring processing continuity.
- Future site earmarked for an almond milk processing plant.
And with almond milk demand rising—IBISWorld projects the Australian almond and soy milk sector will grow to $634.8 million annually in the next five years—Bright Light is well-positioned to expand into this high-value product category.
“Almonds aren’t going anywhere—unless they’re being shipped worldwide to meet rising consumer demand,” Stuart said.
Build the future of agribusiness with Entegra
As agribusinesses like Bright Light scale up for export markets, the right infrastructure is critical to success.
Entegra delivers purpose-built facilities that streamline operations, maximise efficiency, and support long-term growth.
Call us today on 1300 296 206
Email: info@entegra.com.au
Visit: www.entegra.com.au
Discover how Entegra can future-proof your agribusiness.