A $400 million expansion at JBS Rivalea, including construction of a closed herd piggery near Mulwala, is designed to modernise and de-risk operations, securing the industry’s future in the region.

JBS Australia became the country’s largest pork producer after acquiring Rivalea for $175 million in 2021.

Its Corowa farm employs 700 people and houses 25,000 pigs, producing 8 per cent of Australian pork.

The expansion includes two new piggeries outside the current site, at One Tree Lane and the 9,000 sow, closed-herd piggery near Mulwala.

Once built, no live animals will be brought into the Mulwala operation, only semen, with some of the female piglets bred there becoming the future breeding sows.

State Government approval processes are underway, and the ongoing process of community consultation has begun with feedback expected to shape key elements of the projects.

“Corowa is a vital part of our operations, and we’re committed to ensuring that these projects benefit the local community and the environment for years to come,” chief operating officer, Edison Alvares said.

“We look forward to collaborating with local stakeholders to make these projects a success.”

Project manager for farming operations, Nathan Sandral said he hoped to have approval processes completed by the end of the year with construction of each of the satellite sites expected to take two years to build.

“At this point in time, everything is on the one location, so from a biosecurity perspective, for the health of the livestock, it makes a lot more sense not to have everything in the same place,” Mr Sandral said.

“At the moment, we've got the grandparents, the parents and their children, all living literally in the one location.

“That’s not the best situation … by separating them, we can control the individual animal’s needs so there's less risk of anything moving between them.”

Mr Sandral is a fourth generation Corowa local who studied agricultural management at Sydney University before returning home to work on his family’s farm.

When Rivalea was looking for graduates to work in the industry he jumped at the opportunity, starting in research and quickly moving into management then finally to project work.

His enthusiasm for the industry, the project and the benefit to the region is infectious as he discusses the biogas project that captures methane from piggery waste generating more electricity than the farm needs.

“All the effluent goes into a 75 megalitre pond, which is 75 Olympic swimming pools,” Mr Sandral said.

“That captures the methane, then it’s put through blowers and across to our generators.”

Nutrient-rich water from the pigs is used to irrigate feed crops, which eliminates the need for synthetic fertilisers, and the farm uses modern ventilated sheds with perforated flooring to mitigate odours.

About 90 per cent of feed grain is sourced from farms within Federation Council area.

It’s already a state-of-the-art operation, but the next stage takes the commitment to sustainability, animal welfare and biosecurity even further.

Rivalea’s plans to replace existing infrastructure with modern facilities and to establish new sites, will integrate best practice systems for animal welfare, air quality, wastewater management, and improve employee’s workplace and safety.

“These projects are about more than upgrading our facilities,” Mr Alvares said.

“It’s about reaffirming our roots in the Corowa area, creating lasting benefits for the local community and the surrounding region.

“By working closely with stakeholders, we aim to enhance our team’s welfare, animal welfare, environmental sustainability, and food security for Australia.”

Information sessions and consultation events will be announced in the coming weeks with updates posted on the website: https://www.rivalea.com.au/What-We-Do/JBS-Rivalea-Pork-FarmDevelopment.

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Thursday, 21st September 2023

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