Select Harvests is Australia's largest almond grower and processor, and is the third largest grower worldwide. It manages almond orchards in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia, and is also involved in the manufacture of a variety of food snacks and muesli. The company, based in Melbourne, employs around 270 permanently, which peaks up to 500 people seasonally (2015). The business is divided into two divisions: an almond business which owns and manages orchards, including the harvest and initial processing of the crop, and a food business, which processes and markets a range of nut and fruit based products to retailers, distributors and food manufacturers. These were sold under the Lucky, Sunsol, Nu-Vit, Meriram, Soland, Allinga Farms and Renshaw brands. In 2021, Select Harvests sold the Lucky and Sunsol brands to Prolife Foods of New Zealand, however, the company has retained the Allinga Farms and Renshaw brands. History Select Harvests was founded in 1978, its listed predecessors have existed since 1983. The company was formerly known as Defender Limited and Defender Australia Limited. Early Australian almond plantations were first made on the Adelaide Plains in the 19th century. This area was well suited to almond production by virtue of its climate, rainfall, and fertile soils. From here almond plantations spread to southern Adelaide (notably Willunga, South Australia). These areas, however, have been mostly built over following urban expansion. In the 1960s and 1970s the majority of the industry moved from the Willunga area further east, to along the Murray River with the major growing regions being the Riverland, Sunraysia and Riverina districts. These areas were favourable due to cheaper land, water availability for irrigation, and better suited climate for almond growing. This is where Select Harvests primarily now operates its orchards. Total Australian almond acreage increased five-fold over the eight years between 1999 and 2007, from approximately 9,000 planted acres in 1999 to 62,000 acres in 2007; of which Select Harvests owns approximately 9,000 acres and leases an additional 4,500 acres. At the end of 2020, Select Harvests controlled 22,886 acres across the three growing regions, of this, 12,619 acres was owned outright by the company. Orchards The company orchards are based in Robinvale (Northern Victoria), the Riverina, Hillston, and near Griffith in New South Wales, Paringa, South Australia and Loxton, South Australia. In 2014 the company purchased the Amaroo property in Renmark South Australia, which at the time