A Murray Bridge-based feed mill will be a feature point of Ingham's $279 million expansion, along with an expansion of hatchery and breeder farm operations, and approximately nine new or expanded grow-out farms.
Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development Tim Whetstone said the benefits for the Murraylands and Riverland regions 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," Mr Whetstone said.
Premier Steven Marshall said regions were the backbone of SA and projects like this were crucial to driving economic growth.
“Ingham’s investment has generated 650 construction jobs alone, with another 850 jobs expected throughout the supply chain," Mr Marshall said.
Ingham’s chief executive officer Jim Leighton said the significance of introducing fully automated facilities into milling operations had a very positive impact on production capacity.
“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.”
Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment David Ridgway said the development made SA one of Ingham’s most important national centres.
“Ingham’s already employs 1850 staff in South Australia and on the back of this expansion there is great optimism that this number will grow in the coming years,” Minister Ridgway said.
“Chicken meat production and processing is the fastest growing livestock industry in SA, with more than 160,000 tonnes shipped interstate last financial year, and we look forward to seeing that success continue.”