Inghams Group Limited has significantly expanded its Victorian poultry breeding operations by partnering with ProTen, Australia’s largest corporate meat chicken grower.
The partnership sees Inghams investing in two new, state-of-the-art poultry breeder production farms in Charlton, Victoria.
The collaboration capitalises on ProTen’s proven expertise in poultry farm development and operations, ensuring the delivery of world-class production facilities.
“We are pleased to partner with Inghams in creating this state-of-the-art facility that will help feed Victoria into the future. We are also very grateful for the support Buloke Council has provided for the project,” said James Wentworth, CEO of ProTen.
The project represents an investment of approximately $50 million and will see the construction of 16 highly automated production sheds across the two farms, with construction commencing in the August 2026 and operations expected to begin in the first half of 2029.
The new facilities will be managed by Inghams following completion.
Once completed, the breeder farms will incorporate the latest technology in egg grading and sorting, utilising AI-based systems to assess each egg produced.
The scale of the investment and advanced automation will enhance Inghams’ operational efficiency and contribute to reduced transport costs.
“This development represents an important investment in our Victorian farming operations and the Charlton community,” explained Sheridan Alfirevich, general manager of Farming and Milling at Inghams.
“Building on our long-standing presence in the region, these new state-of-the-art breeder farms will meaningfully expand our national breeding capacity and deliver world-class animal welfare and biosecurity outcomes.
“We are excited about the project and look forward to continuing to grow alongside the Charlton community for many years to come.”
This project represents a major commitment to regional Victoria and is expected to create employment opportunities within the local Charlton community during both the construction and operational phases.
In related news, ProTen was recently acquired by global investment firm, KKR, from Aware Super for a reported $1.3 billion.
Aware Super had owned ProTen since 2018 and expanded its operational footprint across all states as well as a four-fold expansion of its property portfolio.
