ARCADIA, LOUISIANA, US — House of Raeford Farms, a poultry producer based in Rose Hill, North Carolina, US, has opened a new feed mill near its poultry processing complex in Arcadia, Louisiana, US.

The company said the new facility is a multistory structure capable of producing 12,500 tonnes of feed weekly, double the capacity of the former mill that was built in the 1950s.

House of Raeford said new technology at the mill would help make production workers more efficient and constructive. The company added that the mill is spacious, with abundant warehouse storage and room to work.

“We are pleased to add the Simsboro, Louisiana, feed mill to House of Raeford’s growing list of facility upgrades over the past few years,” said Bob Johnson, owner and chief executive officer of the company. “Among these improvements have been a new state-of-the-art hatchery opened in Monetta, South Carolina, in 2016, a rebuilt processing plant in Wallace, North Carolina, unveiled in 2018, and a variety of other significant processing production improvements across the company footprint.”

Whole grain storage capacity increased to 650,000 bushels from 60,000 bushels and finish feed capacity increased to 5,524 tonnes from 900 tonnes. The company also said pellet capacity would double.

With the increased available inventory capacity, House of Raeford added that production days would be reduced from seven days a week to five.

“The decrease in production days will afford time for routine preventative maintenance procedures on the mill as well as our feed haul fleet,” the company said.

The poultry company previously announced the $40.9 million construction project in July 2019, which included the feed mill and building modifications, adding new equipment to a hatchery in Gibsland, Louisiana, US, and the poultry processing plant in Arcadia at the cost of $7 million.