Expands crush capacity to strengthen Australian canola and cottonseed oil industry to further export to exported to China, Vietnam, and New Zealand.
Cargill, a global food corporation has invested $50 million (A$73m) to upgrade and expand its Newcastle, Narrabri, and Footscray oilseed crushing facilities. Investing in canola and cottonseed products will help Cargill meet the growing demand. In addition, it will open up global markets for Australian farmers. Canola oil is exported to China, Vietnam, and New Zealand.
The use of Australian canola in food products, biodiesel, and as a feedstock is in high demand around the world. Increasing canola production has prompted Cargill to expand its crush capacity and increase production of canola oil and meal, as well as cottonseed oil and meal. Cargill is a key supplier of high-grade canola oil to Australia and Asia.
The project includes upgrading and restarting Cargill’s Narrabri plant, which has been modified into a cottonseed dehulling facility. In addition to providing feedstock for domestic markets, Narrabri hulls will also be used to process cottonseed meat into oil and meal in Newcastle.
The Cargill plant in Newcastle, New South Wales, is also being upgraded to crush cotton seed alongside canola seed. This will significantly increase the plant’s crushing capacity. Additionally, the plant upgraded its oil seed processing equipment to meet increased demand for cottonseed meals. It also improved its transport efficiency and farmer delivery experience.
Cargill’s Footscray plant will also see an increase in canola crushing capacity with upgrades to processing equipment. In addition, it will see modifications to improve logistics and customer service.
“Cargill connects farmers and customers to the food and ingredients they need. This investment in increasing our crushing capacity will help Cargill better serve the growing demand for canola and cottonseed products from customers in Australia and across Asia. It will also connect Australian farmers to international markets, creating more demand for locally grown canola,” said Zsolt Kocza, Managing Director of Cargill in Australia.
Since 1967, Cargill has been investing and growing in the Australian agriculture and food industry. In addition to cotton seed hulls and oil, Cargill expects to supply new domestic customers with this investment across its three facilities. Cargill markets Australian grain and oilseeds to the food processing, animal feed, and meat industries in addition to our crushing plants. Cargill Australia processes canola at its crush plants in Australia to produce protein meal and vegetable oils.
