The first batch of Australian botanical water from sugar cane has been loaded into a tanker at the Condong Sugar Mill in Northern NSW.

CEO of Sunshine Sugar, Mr Chris Connors said; “Australian beverage maker, AquaBotanical, invented an award-winning way to harvest the naturally stored water in fruit and vegetables at the same time as juice concentrate is made. Using this process, we are now able to use every available drop of water contained in the stalk of the sugar cane plant to create a new sustainable source of botanical drinking water. In short, we grow water.”

This first batch of drinking water from the sugar cane plant comes just months after entering into the partnership with Aquabotanical and will make its way to a bottling plant in Victoria. Once sampled, this water will be bottled and is destined for the US water market.

AquaBotanical Executive Chairman, Terry Paule, has recently returned from a trip to the US where he received an overwhelming response from the major retailers and distribution channels to successfully list AquaBotanical. These outlets include Whole foods, Starbucks, Baldor Foods and Chefs Warehouse.

The first orders will go to the US before the end of the year, marking the release of the world’s first plant-based pure water into the lucrative $18.5 Billion US water market.

Mr Paule remarked; “The retailers can see the convergence with plant-based foods and sustainable living that we have been predicting for the last five years, and we’re excited to be a world first market leader with our patented technology”.

Further installation of plant and equipment will be undertaken at the Condong Sugar Mill over the coming months. Sunshine Sugar and AquaBotanical plan to be fully operational and commence full-scale water from sugarcane production in the Tweed Valley at the start of the next crushing season in June 2020.

Mr Connors added; “Sunshine Sugar remains focussed on the long-term sustainability of our industry. From our successful Low GI Sugar to this exciting water project with AquaBotanical – we are an industry that continues to look for future-focussed and strategically aligned ways in which to innovate and diversify.”