A study is being conducted that looks into the feasibility of starting a poultry cooperative in South Australia. If a cooperative were to form, it would bring a former Inghams turkey processing plant back into production and give poultry farmers a chance to better regain their livelihoods after the plant’s closure.
According to a report from ABC.net, the Fleurieu Poultry Association (FPA) and the South Australian government have signed an agreement for the study that would involve the property where the shuttered plant south of Adelaide sits.
If such a poultry cooperative would form, it would offer an economic boost for the 79 people that lost their jobs at the plant, as well as poultry producers who were left without a contract after its closure. It would also help area businesses as people would also shop and eat while doing business with the potential cooperative.
The two-part feasibility study is in its very early stages, FPA project officer Rick Duke said. FPA wants to estimate the exact numbers of birds on the Fleurieu Peninsula, as well as if there are any area poultry producers the group did not know about. If sufficient numbers are found, the second part of the study, which would include drafting a business plan, would be more comprehensive.
A core group of about 10 people is working on the feasibility study.
