AUSTRALIA’S largest integrated poultry producer, Ingham’s, has opened a greenfield feedmill at Murray Bridge to supply its poultry production in South Australia, and bring in-house a feed supply arrangement previously in place with Ridley Corporation.

Premier of South Australia, Steven Marshall and Inghams CEO Jim Leighton at Inghams new feedmill yesterday.

South Australian Premier Steven Marshall opened the facility, the centrepiece of Ingham’s $279-million statewide expansion in South Australia.

“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 would have a positive impact on production capacity.

“Ingham’s has always been at the fore of innovation and we’re proud to continue to deliver on that with the introduction of the most advanced feedmill of its kind in Australia,” Mr Leighton said.

He said the Murray Bridge mill would increase Ingham’s weekly feed-production capacity in South Australia to 11,000 tonnes.

Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment David Ridgway said the development made South Australia 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,” Mr Ridgway said.

“Chicken-meat production and processing is the fastest-growing livestock industry in South Australia, with more than 160,000t shipped interstate last financial year, and we look forward to seeing that success continue.”

The facility was built over two years by South Australian-based Ahrens Design & Construct for Ingham’s,  and will operate around the clock.

It includes grains, meal and product silos and warehousing space.

The feedmill is owned by the RF CorVal’s CorVal Ingham Murray Bridge Trust, and has been leased to Ingham’s for 25 years with options to extend.

The 2.29-hectare site on Flagstaff Road was purchased by CorVal in 2017.