Balco hay plant to create jobs at Monarto
A new hay facility to be located in the Murraylands will bring new jobs to the community.
Around two dozen jobs will be created for Murraylands locals thanks to a new hay plant in the region.
To be located at Monarto, the new hay processing facility is set to be operational in two years’ time.
It will become Balco Australia’s fourth processing plant in Australia and cement their position as one of the largest exporters of oaten hay.
The sight will be located on a 157 hectare greenfield site in Monarto, which it has secured via the company’s major shareholder.
CEO Rob Lawson said the company was in the midst of a major growth phase.
“The new facility will allow more growers in the South East to add hay into their crop rotations,” he said.
The demand for high quality hay in Australia was strong, he said.
“We’re on track to sell 270,000 tonnes of oaten hay this year, up from 190,000 tonnes last year,” he said.
“With the addition of a Monarto facility and continued expansion of our other existing plants, our future annual processing capacity will extend to 400,000 tonnes.
“We see potential for this facility to add a further 100,000-tonne processing capacity to our national operations and create local jobs.”
Balco will also be relocating their head office from Balaklava to Adelaide.
The company's other three plants are located at Bowmans in SA, Brookton in WA and Raywood in Victoria, employing a total workforce of 150.
“Dairy industries across Asia seek Balco hay to feed their cattle – from Japan and
China through to emerging markets in Vietnam, Indonesia and the Middle East,” Mr Lawson said.
“While Balco is on a strong global growth trajectory, we remain firmly committed and connected to our regional communities and our local growers.”
In November 2023, Balco and its Chinese partner, Bright Farming, signed a 10-year-deal worth $100 million to supply oaten hay to China.
- More information: balco.au.
