FOREIGN demand for Australian meat could bring hundreds of new jobs to town and
see the products of one local business on supermarket shelves around the
world.
Swan Hill Abattoir is set to undergo a $30 million upgrade and
expansion that will double production and bring up to 220 permanent jobs to the
region.
The expansion will see modifications to existing buildings and new
structures built on the River Road premises, including a new boning room,
packing sheds and extra chillers.
Swan Hill Abattoir chief executive officer
Paul Troja said the aim of the expansion was to add more value to the company’s
products by processing them to a wholesale export standard.
“The first step
is to become export accredited, we hope in the next few months to attain a Tier
1 licence,” Mr Troja said.
The beef and sheep meat processor currently supplies to domestic markets in NSW
and Victoria, processing an average of 1500 cattle and 11,000 sheep and lambs
per week to meet demand.
For more on this story, see Friday’s edition of The Guardian (15/3/13).
