Processing

AA Co plant to ramp up to full single shift by March 2015

James Nason, 02/10/2014
Jason Strong addresses the Ag in the Asian Century conference in Toowoomba this morning.

Jason Strong addresses the Ag in the Asian Century conference in Toowoomba this morning.

Having achieved its target of commissioning its new Darwin Plant in September, the next significant target for AA Co’s $91 million abattoir will be to progressively ramp up to a single shift of 520 cattle per day by March next year.

AA Co managing director Jason Strong provided an update on the progress of the company’s Darwin abattoir during an address to the Ag in the Asian Century conference in Toowoomba this morning.

Mr Strong said the $91.5m plant was coming along ‘extremely well’.

AA Co had achieved its nominated target of commissioning the plant in September.

The commissioning process began three weeks ago and had allowed the company to fine tune the plant’s operations.

Mr Strong said the company was also close to signing off on requirements around licensing and operations, and receiving full approval for its environmental management plan.

“We’re still on track, we’re still on budget,” Mr Strong said.

“The next major goal for us is to be capable to produce a single shift of cattle by March next year, we’re well online to do that.

“We have all the cattle we need to meet those requirements, we have 43,000 cattle lined up and dedicated for the plant moving up to March next year.”

Mr Strong told Beef Central that building up to single shift of 520 cattle within the next six months will involve a progressive ramp up of supply, training, people and operations.

He said an official opening for the plant was likely to occur some time around March 2015.

Asked when the abattoir is likely to begin buying cattle, Mr Strong said AA Co was now talking to people about supply and contracts. “We have obviously got supply secured for our own cattle for the first period for the plant, but we will be in the market in the next month or two.”

  • More on Mr Strong’s address to the Ag in the Asian Century conference on Beef Central tomorrow

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