LOCAL meat processors have welcomed great news for their industry following the lifting of China’s suspension of trade.
JBS Dinmore, Kilcoy Global Foods, Meramist at Caboolture, the JBS-owned Beef City near Toowoomba and the Northern Cooperative Meat Company at Casino in northern NSW can now resume red meat exports to one of our largest export partners.
“This is great news for the entire meat processing industry,” Federal Member for Blair Shayne Neumann said.
“These are some of the biggest employers in my electorate, and they make a huge contribution to the local economy in Ipswich and the Somerset Region.
“The removal of trade impediments against these processors should restore hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of red meat exports, which is a fantastic result.
“These processors already employ hundreds of local people, and I would expect more jobs will be created as trade resumes.”
Mr Neumann said eight beef processing facilities had now had suspensions lifted, while two facilities remained suspended.
As one of Ipswich’s biggest employers, JBS opened up 500 new jobs at its Dinmore processing plant in Feburary after adding a second shift to meet growing demand.
The Dinmore processing facility was already the largest beef processing plan in the Southern Hemisphere, employing more than 1800 people.
JBS Australia CEO Brent Eastwood said the company was delighted with the announcement.
“We were pleased to be advised that the Chinese Government has lifted the last of the trade suspensions that had been imposed on our Dinmore and Beef City (Toowoomba) meat processing plants in Queensland,” Mr Eastwood said.
