Cargill comeback on the cards for 2022

Narrabri Shire community and the region will be hoping to welcome the return of some cotton seed processing operations at the Cargill mill.

The Courier understands that Cargill is currently running trials to see if the mill can be re-opened in some capacity next year following the closure three years ago.

Industry sources said that a testing program is underway to establish whether the plant will re-open, albeit for limited operations, in May 2022 following the cotton harvest.

Cargill is running the trials to see if it is feasible to open the plant in some capacity, an industry observer said. The trials may continue for a few more weeks, The Courier understands.

If the trials prove successful the plant at Narrabri would partially reopen in May when the cotton crop comes off.

With the seasonal and water indicators at this stage pointing to a good cotton crop next year, re-opening of the Cargill plant would be a boon for the community and farmers.

The shutdown of the Narrabri Cargill plant in November 2018 was due to a reduction in affordable cottonseed supply brought on by the drought and high operating and energy costs.

Cargill said at the time it was discontinuing operations at Narrabri ‘for the foreseeable future’ due to the changing landscape of the cottonseed market

Cargill has long been a key element in the economic fabric of the district since the late 1960s, a major employer and significant processor in the North West’s cotton and oilseeds industry. Cargill was a valued corporate citizen which traditionally played a big role in community support of local organisations.

If the trials are successful and processing at even a reduced scale resumed the community would welcome the development.