STOCKFEED manufacturer, Ridley Corporation, plans to build a new feedmill in Bendigo which, with an annual capacity of more than 350,000 tonnes, will be the biggest mill in the company’s portfolio.

A concept design of the Ridley’s proposed new feedmill at Bendigo.

Ridley general manager of merchandising, nutrition and quality, Michael Reeves, said the new mill would be strategically located close to the Victorian grain-growing region, and would support the continued growth of the livestock industry in that area.

“The new Bendigo mill will use a combination of locally sourced grains, and like the majority of the Australian feed market, will be primarily wheat based,” Mr Reeves said.

To be located at the Wellsford Industrial Estate, the new mill will manufacture and supply feed to existing poultry and pig customers while also supporting a growing livestock animal production industry in the central and northern regions of Victoria.

Underpinning the mill’s business plan is a 10-year supply contract with nearby poultry producer, Hazeldenes.

Ridley is currently in the process of acquiring land for the mill, and hopes to begin construction next year.

The company has said it expects the new mill, which will be with a focus on efficiency and low energy, to cost $45-50m.

Ridley already operates a feedmill in Bendigo, and has said the new plant will enable the operation to be retired.

The mill will have on-site bulk storage capacity and fit-for-purpose warehouses for raw materials and finished goods.

Other mills

In February, Ridley opened its new feedmill at Lara new Geelong; the mill has a 250,000t capacity and has also been built to service the poultry and pig industries.

This year, Ridley acquired land on which to build a new aquafeed mill in Tasmania.

The 50,000t-capacity Tasmanian plant will service the local and New Zealand aquafeed industries, and will shift some capacity from its Narangba facility in Brisbane.

The Narangba mill will continue to manufacture for sectors of the aquaculture industry, like prawn and barramundi, and will also manufacture Ridley’s Cobber dog feed range.

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