Baiada builds a symbol of progress

Facing Australia’s insatiable appetite for poultry and the demands of future generations, Baiada decided that the only way to meet these needs was to set up a completely new, state-of-the art greenfield processing plant in Oakburn, an area of Tamworth, New South Wales. Scheduled to be completed by early 2026, this new facility will stand as a beacon of progress and possibility, declaring Baiada’s commitment to setting new standards in the poultry industry.

The Oakburn facility is not just a processing plant—it‘s a symbol of progress, sustainability, and Baiada’s commitment to providing quality poultry for decades to come. The new processing plant will set a new benchmark for both the world and more importantly the Australian poultry industry. It will have complete traceability and the highest standards for quality processing to meet customer needs.

Highest standards

For the entire construction of the building, Baiada has worked together with industry experts worldwide, including Marel as the leading technology partner and equipment supplier. This results in a facility that will embrace the most innovative, sustainable and advanced processing technology available in the world.
From the outside, the building is very impressive, featuring a ‘sunken’ car park, and a hypermodern architecture. Inside, it has a transparent layout with walkways offering viewing areas of the factory floor.

Start to end

In the first stage, the factory production will reach 1.5 million broilers per week, increasing to 3 million in the second phase. Marel will install automated inline processing solutions from start to end, of which a number are firsts for Australia on this scale. These range from ATLAS live bird handling to Nuova-i, SensorX, RoboBatchers and versatile end-of-line systems for the finished products. These include Marel Multihead Weighers, Smartline Graders, Weigh-Price Labelers and Box Labelers. Marel software, such as PDS and IMPAQT, will control and monitor the efficiency and effectiveness of the processing lines, and will also ensure full inline traceability, which is high on Baiada’s agenda.

Unique chilling

Traditionally, the Australian market is accustomed to white, water-chilled poultry products. Using offline screw chillers to chill products, however, would mean losing traceability. Baiada tackles the Australian tradition with a modern approach, a first for such an inline chilling configuration in Australia. The Oakburn processing plant will feature a unique Marel 3-stage chilling process, including in-line immersion, shock chilling and maturation air chilling, combined with automated transfer units from the evisceration line to the selection line. This chilling method ensures full traceability and requires no manual handling, providing an ultimate hygienic and labor-saving solution to poultry processing. Thanks to the initial immersion phase, which involves a certain water pickup (although less than traditional spin chilling), the resulting end product will undoubtedly meet the expectations of Australian consumers, who prefer white, water-chilled products.

Front-half deboning preferred

Baiada chose Marel’s FHF FlexControl as their breast meat deboning solution. This follows the ACM-NT cutup lines. Even when the weight range of birds within a flock varies as much as in Baiada’s case, deboning front halves is still very efficient. No breast deboning machine can harvest the back meat as well as Marel’s front half deboning system, while also being capable of handling Baiada’s wide product range.

Employment

Creating over 1000 additional jobs at full capacity, the Oakburn plant is not just about efficiency. It is also about fostering a workplace that inspires and empowers the community. With modern amenities and a focus on employee wellbeing, Baiada is also setting new standards in workplace culture.

Sustainable

Baiada considers the sustainability theme not just as a goal, but as a commitment. Every aspect of the new processing plant is designed with longterm sustainability in mind. It harnesses renewable energy like biogas from the wastewater treatment plant. It also features an advanced water system initiative to reduce town water usage. Once the facility is operational, it is estimated that up to 85% of wastewater will be treated to potable standards for reuse within the facility itself.

About Baiada

Baiada’s story began in 1916 with Celestino Baiada, who moved from Malta to Pendle Hill, Australia as a 14-year-old boy. He found success in poultry and property, leaving a legacy he hoped would allow for the expansion of the business, which could live on through future generations. Tamworth was the location of Baiada’s second processing plant and feed mill in the mid 1960’s. By 1974, Baiada was processing 8,000 birds a day. Grandson John Camilleri took over the business of 160 employees in 1984. The company expanded with breeding and hatcheries from the mid 1980’s and imported the first genetic stock into Australia in 1990. In 2009, Baiada acquired Bartter Holdings, including the iconic Steggles brand and doubled its size to become one of the largest chicken meat producers in the country. In 2011, John’s brother, Simon Camilleri, took over Baiada’s leadership of the poultry business.

Company website: baiada.com.au