WAMMCO ANNUAL SHUTDOWN
WA’s producer-owned sheepmeats processing cooperative WAMMCO International, will close its Katanning plant for three weeks of annual repairs and maintenance from July 3.
Katanning Manager Tony Bessell said receivals of livestock would cease on Wednesday, July 1 and the plant would close after final boning operations on Friday July 3.
He said receivals would recommence on Sunday, July 26 ready for a plant re-opening on Monday, July 27.
“We had tapered to a four day processing week over recent weeks, following a busy start to the year that required six day working weeks in the early months. A reduced flow of livestock due to a difficult start to the current season in WA coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic from February, when the global restaurant/food service industry virtually shut down.
“This was offset by a strong retail demand, particularly from north America, in the early stages of the pandemic, that resulted in a production increase of an extra 15,000 lamb racks for May 2020.”
WAMMCO’s new mutton boning facility at Katanning , opened in 2019, had not only proved a major new contributor to the cooperative, but a valuable investment in catering to future product demand.
Mr Bessell said WAMMCO had maintained five year average kill figures for May, of 80,000 head – 60,000 lambs and 20,000 mutton – recording a small improvement in carcass weight despite the State’s difficult seasonal conditions. Producers received May average prices of $187.37 per head for lamb and $138.79 for mutton, (contrasting with a lamb average price of $84.65 per head and $46.90 for mutton in May 2013.)
“Hopefully better seasonal conditions will see increased sheep and lamb supplies, allowing us to re-open with minimum five day weeks in August,” he said.
Further details: Tony Bessell WAMMCO Katanning 9821 9000
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