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• NEW_POSTED_BY: UHUNT APP - Jesse Farr
• NEW_POSTED_ON: May 22, 2017
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  Kangaroo processing is set to ramp up in south west Queensland as a new processor, armed with contracts to supply an Australian independent supermarket chain, opens for business. Barco Queensland, owned by Gold Coast-based pet food manufacturer Millennium Pet Foods, opened an inactive game meat abattoir at Charleville in March, after signing a three-year lease on the facility. General Manager Daniel McGettigan said the plant would begin processing 1,000 kangaroos this week, after starting out at a rate of 300 to 400 carcasses per week. He expected this number could quadruple within months. "The demand [for kangaroo meat] is very big, very big," Mr McGettigan said. "I really, personally think in a matter of a few months we could be killing 3,000 to 4,000 roos a week and not have any trouble dispersing of the product." Barco Queensland's kangaroo meat is destined for both human consumption and pet food markets. "We pull three or four cuts that go directly into food service in Sydney and then we also pull a bit of trim and that sort of stuff into small goods blokes and that goes into Brisbane and Sydney," Mr McGettigan said. He said the rest of the product was used in pet food with contracts secured with wholesale produce distributor Metcash, the owner of IGA supermarkets. "We started off with IGA in Western Australia and they're going to handle up to seven tonne a week of diced and minced roo into packets into that chain," Mr McGettigan said. "Once we get that rolling, they'll start up the east coast [of Australia]." The Real Petfood Company (formerly known as VIP Petfoods) is the largest independent pet food manufacturer in Australia — an industry which Mr McGettigan said was difficult to crack. But he said he was confident in developing his business. "I feel at the moment that VIP and the bigger pet food places have such a control on the market. "I think there's a spot there for an Australian-owned company to come in and take on the overseas companies," he said. Mr McGettigan said establishing Barco Queensland and acquiring the abattoir at Charleville was a natural step for Millennium Pet Foods. "We've been buying our by-products in to process and we just thought we'd cut the middle man out and go direct and harvest the roos ourselves," he said. Mr McGettigan said infrastructure upgrades and installing more chiller boxes around the region might also be on the cards to draw greater volume through the Charleville abattoir. He said there was also potential to run night shift at the plant — a move which would double staff requirements. Site manager and Charleville local Leroy Holley said Barco's entry was welcome in the region, particularly with the precarious state of the roo industry in recent years. "Out here I think it's been very touch and go," he said. "There's been quite a few boxes open up and shut down and I mean there's only been two boxes out here that's been really consistent with the buying of roos. "Hopefully with us opening up we can increase numbers, which means more nights for shooters and more money for the town — and these little towns, they need the money." Mr Holley said Barco was paying shooters $0.75/kilogram for harvested whole kangaroo product. The abattoir's owner and former operator, Darren Pidgeon, previously had contracts to supply kangaroo meat for council-run coordinated wild dog baiting programs in the state's south-west. Barco Queensland has also attained some of these orders for the autumn baiting program. "Paroo [Shire Council] put in an order of 13 tonne for April and I think Charleville [Murweh Shire Council] will be around about the same volume," Mr McGettigan said. The abattoir is also processing 30 to 40 wild boars per week, which go direct into food service in Sydney.

Overview

• 7 News Australia - Kangaroo processing is set to ramp up in south west Queensland as a new processor, armed with contracts to supply an Australian independent supermarket chain, opens for business. Barco Queensland, owned by Gold Coast-based pet food manufacturer Millennium Pet Foods, opened an inactive game meat abattoir at Charleville in March, after signing a three-year lease on the facility. General Manager Daniel McGettigan said the plant would begin processing 1,000 kangaroos this week, after starting out at a rate of 300 to 400 carcasses per week. He expected this number could quadruple within months. "The demand [for kangaroo meat] is very big, very big," Mr McGettigan said. "I really, personally think in a matter of a few months we could be killing 3,000 to 4,000 roos a week and not have any trouble dispersing of the product." Barco Queensland's kangaroo meat is destined for both human consumption and pet food markets. "We pull three or four cuts that go directly into food service in Sydney and then we also pull a bit of trim and that sort of stuff into small goods blokes and that goes into Brisbane and Sydney," Mr McGettigan said. He said the rest of the product was used in pet food with contracts secured with wholesale produce distributor Metcash, the owner of IGA supermarkets. "We started off with IGA in Western Australia and they're going to handle up to seven tonne a week of diced and minced roo into packets into that chain," Mr McGettigan said. "Once we get that rolling, they'll start up the east coast [of Australia]." The Real Petfood Company (formerly known as VIP Petfoods) is the largest independent pet food manufacturer in Australia — an industry which Mr McGettigan said was difficult to crack. But he said he was confident in developing his business. "I feel at the moment that VIP and the bigger pet food places have such a control on the market. "I think there's a spot there for an Australian-owned company to come in and take on the overseas companies," he said. Mr McGettigan said establishing Barco Queensland and acquiring the abattoir at Charleville was a natural step for Millennium Pet Foods. "We've been buying our by-products in to process and we just thought we'd cut the middle man out and go direct and harvest the roos ourselves," he said. Mr McGettigan said infrastructure upgrades and installing more chiller boxes around the region might also be on the cards to draw greater volume through the Charleville abattoir. He said there was also potential to run night shift at the plant — a move which would double staff requirements. Site manager and Charleville local Leroy Holley said Barco's entry was welcome in the region, particularly with the precarious state of the roo industry in recent years. "Out here I think it's been very touch and go," he said. "There's been quite a few boxes open up and shut down and I mean there's only been two boxes out here that's been really consistent with the buying of roos. "Hopefully with us opening up we can increase numbers, which means more nights for shooters and more money for the town — and these little towns, they need the money." Mr Holley said Barco was paying shooters $0.75/kilogram for harvested whole kangaroo product. The abattoir's owner and former operator, Darren Pidgeon, previously had contracts to supply kangaroo meat for council-run coordinated wild dog baiting programs in the state's south-west. Barco Queensland has also attained some of these orders for the autumn baiting program. "Paroo [Shire Council] put in an order of 13 tonne for April and I think Charleville [Murweh Shire Council] will be around about the same volume," Mr McGettigan said. The abattoir is also processing 30 to 40 wild boars per week, which go direct into food service in Sydney.