Banana Blankey
The Banana Blankey is a polypropelene material carton insert for packing bananas. Rob is now experimenting with a new model Banana Blankey which is 80gsm polypropelene and uses a polyester base fleece. He is hydrating the Blankey as well during packing to give produce moisture during transport.
About the Inventor
Robert Ogilvie Watkins is 24 and a second generation farmer. His dad started in cattle, now they do bananas and avocados and macadamias. Their property got cleaned up in Cyclone Larry a few years ago, but they’re getting back on their feet now, and have diversified to stop it happening again.
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Rob Watkin with his innovative banana packaging which was instrumental in his success as the very first ABC Rural-Kondinin Group ‘Young Farmer of the Year’.
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ANNE KRUGER, PRESENTER: Seven years ago we featured a story about an Adelaide based engineer who’d developed a way of making paper products from banana tree trunks. It was one of those stories that captured people’s imagination.
We can now report the world’s first factory making paper and veneer from banana trunks is up and running in Far North Queensland and the man who kicked this all off is in the throes of going global.
ROB WATKINS, BANANA GROWER: Bananas are a fascinating crop. I never once have learned the full capacity of the plant and getting it to a perfectional level.
In this area they thrive through this tablelands plateau.
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