WELLSFORD, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA — Ridley Corporation Ltd. has opened its new feed mill in Wellsford, East Bendigo, Australia.

The feed mill has an annual production capacity of 350,000 tonnes and will supply poultry and pig producers in central and northern Victoria.

Ridley decided to build a new feed mill in Wellsford when its Bendigo mill had reached capacity. Construction began in April 2019 and a total of A$47 million was invested.

“We look forward to leveraging the technology that this facility offers, together with Ridley’s nutritional and raw material procurement expertise, to support the growth of livestock enterprises in this region,” said Quinton Hildebrand, managing director and chief executive officer of Ridley during the virtual opening of the mill.

The Bendigo has been closed, is being prepared for divestment and its employees are being transitioned to the Wellsford mill. The Wellsford mill will also absorb the production of the Mooroopna feed mill and is expected to transition in the next six to nine months.

The opening of the Wellsford feed mill is the most recent construction of new facilities for Ridley in the Victoria region. The company also built new facilities in Westbury, Tasmania, Lara and Pakenham. Over the last eight years, Ridley has invested A$150 million in the four facilities geared toward supporting growth of Australian animal protein and companion animal industries.