AFTER more than a decade of issues, the Narrogin Beef Producers' feedlot has been sold.
The infamous Narrogin Beef Producers, once owned by Matt and Janet Thompson, had gone through a public debate with the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) and other minor groups in Narrogin , but that is all over now with confirmation that the property has been bought by Jordanian company Hijazi and Ghosheh Group (HGG) which owns Livestock Shipping Services (LSS).
LSS livestock export manager for sheep Scott Jewell said LSS entered into a contract for the property and settlement was expected to go through soon.
It is the second major announcement in recent months from LSS in Narrogin after the company also bought the Hillside Meats abattoir.
"This is an opportunity to expand and support our growers," Mr Jewell said.
"It will serve as our second cattle feedlot which we will use for backgrounding cattle.
"This now expands the company's cattle feedlot capacity from the 5000-head one in Mundijong, so we will now be able to take entire shipments directly from the two feedlots."
Mr Jewell said the company bought the feedlot with the intention to support their live export trade and farmers in the southern parts of the State.
The Narrogin Beef Producers feedlot has a valid license to run 6000 head of cattle in the feedlot with the opportunity to increase the capacity to 10,000 head, subject to some conditions.
The Thompsons went into a very public receivership on September 21, 2010, largely because of complaints of odour by some Narrogin residents in the town, 4.5km away.
Mr Jewell said LSS had a plan to deal with that so the company didn't have the same issues.
"We don't feed raw grain so we won't quite get the smell that others had and the cattle will only be in there for five or six days and then out again," he said.
Mr Jewell said the company would look at employing a feedlot manager and two workers for the feedlot.
Shire of Narrogin president Richard Chadwick applauded LSS for its significant investment in Narrogin.
"Narrogin lost two really good agriculture businesses from the town and it is good that somebody has picked them up again," Mr Chadwick said.
"If the feedlot cranks up it is a good thing for auxiliary industries such as truckers and grain handlers and so on."
Mr Chadwick hoped LSS wouldn't run into the same issues as the Thompsons.
