Nutrien Ag Solutions has announced plans to expand its local manufacturing footprint to better serve Australian farmers and increase supply chain security
Nutrien Ag Solutions has commenced work to establish a new plant nutrition, crop chemical and animal health product manufacturing facility in Laverton, Victoria.
The company says the facility will be able to produce critical farming inputs for growers on the east coast of Australia.
With increasingly volatile global supply chains, Nutrien Ag Solutions Australia managing director Kelly Freeman says it makes sense to expand the company’s onshore manufacturing capability and inject more reliability in the local supply chain.
“Over the past few years, geopolitical tensions, cost of energy and fuel, shifting global economies, longer shipping lead times, congestion at ports, extreme weather events and labour shortages have all contributed to an increasingly unpredictable supply chain,” Freeman says.
“Having the ability to manufacture significant volumes on both sides of the country is vital for us.
“That’s why we’ve made the decision to invest in more manufacturing capacity on the east coast of Australia to give even more confidence to our farmers that they will have reliable access to all the key inputs they need to make the most of varying seasons and markets.”
The new Laverton site will triple Nutrien’s domestic manufacturing facility, according to national manufacturing manager Cherine Kerbaj.
“Transporting goods from our plant in Western Australia to east coast customers can be costly and complicated, so it makes sense to boost our capacity on the east coast as well,” Kerbaj says.
In addition to the work-in-progress Laverton facility, Nutrien Ag Solutions’ current manufacturing portfolio includes a facility in Kwinana, Western Australia and one in Dandenong, Victoria.
Kerbaj adds that the new site will produce plant nutrition products and adjuvants, alongside crop chemical and animal health products.
“This is a great news story for farmers focused on more reliability, more flexibility and increased production of much needed agri-chemicals right here in Australia,” Kerbaj says.
“Given we work in a rain-dependent industry, having more capacity on home soil also allows us to be flexible with our volumes in a far shorter timeframe, so we can successfully meet the seasons’ needs.”
The fit out of the site is underway with the first line of products expected to commence at Laverton in 2025.