Primo Smallgoods to expand meat processing in Australia

Australia-based Primo Smallgoods, involved in ham, bacon and meat processing, has announced plans to build a new $195m plant in Wacol in southern Queensland, Australia.

The new plant is being built to meet the demand for small goods from export markets in south-east Asia, and rising domestic processed meat and sausage consumption in nearby population growth areas in eastern Australia.

Primo state general manager Greg Lillington said the new 43,000m² facility will almost double the company’s production capacity in Queensland and lift efficiency by 30% to 40%.

"The new high-tech plant could churn out about 1,600t, working single shifts five days a week, but it could quickly grow to two shifts, based on current sales trends," Lillington added.

Primo owns abattoirs and meat processing plants in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia, and supplies branded packaged processed pork, beef and chicken products to domestic and overseas markets.

The company, which has revenues of about A$1.4bn (US$1.36bn) a year, is also set for a major ownership shakeup with Hong Kong-based Affinity Equity Partners reportedly poised to take a controlling stake in the business.