Cargill Narrabri plant to re-open soon

Cargill is upgrading its Narrabri West site and the mill should be in operation at the end of May as a dedicated cottonseed dehulling plant.

The resumption of operations will lead to an anticipated five jobs being created plus work for contractors.

The Cargill site has been shut down since November 15, 2018.

“We expect to restart the modified Narrabri plant at the end of May,” Cargill director of corporate affairs, Peter McBride told The Courier.

Re-opening of the Cargill mill is welcome news for the district community.

The plant has been maintained by a small crew and the company has been conducting trials in recent months which have delivered positive results.

“We are looking forward to the restart,” said Narrabri plant manager Owen Warren who has been with Cargill for 30 years.

The cottonseed hulls from Narrabri will cater to domestic feedstock markets and cottonseed meats will be transported to Cargill’s Kooragang Island plant to be further processed into oil and meal.

Cargill’s mill in Newcastle is also being upgraded to enable the crush of cotton seed.

The company will invest $73 million across its three facilities in Narrabri, Newcastle and Footscray.

When announcing the revival of its Narrabri facilities last year, Cargill said Australian canola had been experiencing high demand globally for its use across food products, bio diesel and as a feed stock.

“With canola production on the rise, Cargill, a key supplier of high-grade canola oil to customers in Australia and Asia, is investing to expand its crush capacity and increase production of canola oil and meal as well as cottonseed oil and meal,” Cargill said at the time.

“This includes an upgrade and restart of Cargill’s Narrabri plant which has been modified into a dedicated cottonseed dehulling plant.

“The hulls from Narrabri will cater to domestic feedstock markets and cottonseed meats will be transported to Newcastle where it will be further processed into oil and meal.”

Upgrades include improvements in oilseed processing equipment to serve the increased throughput and the cottonseed meal product and higher transport efficiencies.

Cargill also expects to be able to supply domestic customers with cotton seed hulls and oil.

The Narrabri plant shut down in 2018 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 ‘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 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.

allied petrochemicals soil turning 1967001 3 Cargill has a long history in Narrabri. When the first oilseed mill was launched, the-then federal Member for Gwydir the late Ian Allan had the honour of turning the first sod at the site of North West Vegetable Oils, predecessor to Cargill. However, the hard ground was too much for the ceremonial spade and its handle broke.

allied petrochemicals soil turning 1967001 Mr Allen and the then Narrabri mayor the late Jock Cameron.

North West Vegetable Oils mill in 1972. North West Vegetable Oils mill in 1972.