Chicken meat production and processing is the fastest growing livestock industry in South Australia, with more than 160,000 tonnes shipped interstate last financial year. To meet the growing national demands, Inghams has announced a $279 million investment into their South Australian infrastructure, with nine new or expanded farms as well as a new feed mill in Brinkley.
Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development Tim Whetstone said the benefits for regional South Australia were extremely significant. “An estimated $235 million of the total capital expenditure will occur in these regions, providing a major boost for their local economies,” he said at an official opening of the Brinkley facility last Wednesday.
Premier Steven Marshall stated that agriculture is a key part of South Australian economy, and projects like this were crucial to further developing the region. “Ingham’s investment has generated 650 construction jobs alone, with another 850 jobs expected throughout the supply chain,” he said.
Ingham’s CEO Jim Leighton highlighted the significance of introducing automation into the production line, emphasising productivity and safety concerns. “Ingham’s has always been at the fore of innovation and we are proud to continue to deliver on that with the introduction of the most advanced feed mill of its kind in Australia”, he said. “The Murray Bridge feed mill is the first to offer fully automated facilities in production and increases Ingham’s feed production capacity in SA to 11,000 tonnes per week.”
