Baiada Poultry wants to increase feed production

Australia’s Baiada Poultry has plans for an expansion project that would allow the company to significantly increase its feed production in Beresfield, New South Wales.

Photo by Terrence O'Keefe
Photo by Terrence O'Keefe

Australia’s Baiada Poultry has plans for an expansion project that would allow the company to significantly increase its feed production in Beresfield, New South Wales.

The company has submitted plans for the project, which would call for an increase of annual feed production. Presently, about 250,000 metric tons of feed are produced there annually, but under the proposal, Baiada Poultry would be able to produce about 410,000 metric tons of feed on an annual basis.

The expansion, if realized, would allow the company to add a new shift and five employees, according to a report from the Newcastle Herald.

The company has already faced some opposition from neighbors, who are apprehensive about problems such as noise, dust, odors, increased traffic and declining property values. However, Baiada believes that people already knew of traffic and noise risks, as the facility is located near major roads, a busy rail line and other industrial businesses.

Baiada Poultry, according to the WATTAgNet Top Poultry Companies Database, is Australia’s largest chicken processor, with integrated breeding and hatching operations, broiler farms, feed milling and processing facilities.

While the company is hoping to increase its feed production, it has also made the decision to close two poultry plants in recent years.

In August 2017, it was revealed that Baiada intended to close its plant in Ipswich, Queensland, which produced Steggles brand products and employed about 250 people. Baiada Poultry Managing Director Simon Camilleri at the time said poor market conditions led to the decision to close.

One year earlier, Baiada announced it would end production at its plant at Laverton North, near Melbourne in the state of Victoria. Market conditions were also cited as the reason for the decision. That facility was planned to remain open as a distribution hub, but the halting of processing operations led to the elimination of about 100 jobs.

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