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Twiggy to shake up WA cattle industry with $50m investment
Mining billionaire Andrew Forrest will make his biggest investment in agriculture to date.
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The Forrest family's private company, Harvest Road, will spend about $50 million developing a new cattle-feeding base in WA’s wheat belt and has enlisted US-based animal scientist Professor Temple Grandin as a key adviser.
Based on her advice and leading animal welfare practices, Mr Forrest plans to grain feed 20,000 cattle at a time on farmland near Moora to supply his Harvey Beef will be radically different from standard feed-lots, with significantly more freedom for cattle to move around in an effort to improve animal welfare.
The operations will include a feed mill, grain storage facilities and its own power plant in a major shake-up of the WA industry.
The 6880-hectare property will hold up to 40,000 cattle at a time with half on the 100-day grain feeding program. There are plans to double capacity to 80,000 cattle as part of a second stage.
abattoir in the state's south-west.
The majority of the cattle will be sourced from cattle producers in WA as well as from Mr Forrest's six pastoral stations covering 1.3 million hectares in the north of WA.
Harvest Road suggests the operations The feeding centre will supply about 60,000 cattle a year for slaughter at Harvey Beef, which was purchased by Mr Forrest for about $40 million in 2014 and exports to more than 30 countries.
Harvest Road chief executive Greg Harvey said the operations near Moora would fill a long-standing gap in the WA cattle supply chain and provide a viable and sustainable alternative to live export markets for local cattle producers.
"WA by rights should be producing the highest-quality beef in Asia," he said. "We have a unique provenance as one of the most isolated and pristine agricultural regions in the world and WA needs to capitalise on that.
"This feeding system is going to structure in a way that we can deliver 100-day grain-finished cattle to meet the export market demand that we see. That is a market demand that up until this stage WA hasn't been able to meet consistently because of seasonal cattle supply."
Harvest Road expects to make significant savings on costs by being based in the wheat belt as east coast feedlot operators struggle to absorb record grain prices.
Mr Harvey said the feeding operation would require about 100,000 tonnes of grain a year from local farms and source about 90 percent of cattle from outside the Forrest pastoral estate.
The State Government has appointed Ross Love as chairperson of the Fremantle Ports Authority to help steer the future of Western Australia's largest general cargo port.
Mr Love has held a number of senior roles in industry and government, including a term as Managing Partner at the Boston Consulting Group for New York. Mr Love has been appointed for a two-year term.
The State Government has also appointed maritime law expert Kate Lewins to the board, and has reappointed deputy chairperson Kim Horne.
Ports Minister Alannah MacTiernan said, “Ross Love has a proven track record in industry and in government. Efficient, modern ports at Fremantle and Kwinana are essential for WA's economic health, and I am confident Ross' leadership will help drive the strategic direction of Fremantle Ports development.
"Kate Lewins brings deep experience in maritime law and in shipping fuels to the role and will help us develop new opportunities in this area. We are also pleased to reappoint Kim Horne to continue his strong contribution to Fremantle Ports. Fremantle Ports chairperson to oversee future growth
