Aussie oilseed facilities to expand following $73m investment

Cargill has invested $73m to upgrade and expand its Newcastle, Narrabri and Footscray oilseed crush facilities. This will help the company cater to rising demand for canola and cottonseed products and provide farmers with further access to global markets.

For its use across food products, biodiesel and as a feed stock, Australian canola is in high demand globally. Cargill, a supplier of high-grade canola oil to customers in Australia and Asia, has invested to expand its crush capacity and increase production.

This includes an upgrade and restart of Cargill’s Narrabri plant which has been modified into a cottonseed dehulling plant. The hulls will cater to domestic feedstock markets and cottonseed meats will be transported to Newcastle for further processing into oil and meal.

The Newcastle plant is also being upgraded to enable the crush of cotton seed, along with the existing processing capacity of canola. The upgrade will also include improvements in oilseed processing equipment, higher transport efficiencies and improving farmer delivery experience.

Cargill’s Footscray plant will also see an increase in canola crush capacity with processing equipment upgrades and modifications to drive logistical efficiencies.

The major export destinations for canola oil are China, Vietnam and New Zealand. This investment is expected to increase supply for domestic customers and support almost 100 jobs across three facilities.

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