QUEENSLAND’s agribusiness industry has received a huge boost with news of a hi-tech $11 million animal genomics and food safety laboratory opening at Bundamba on Monday.
Member for Bundamba Lance McCallum officially opened the facility, saying the 3,000sqm of space allowed Neogen to build on its other agribusiness operations in food and animal safety products and services.
“With warehousing, distribution and technical support also incorporated into the one purpose-built facility, Neogen is truly positioned for the future right here in our local Bundamba community,” Mr McCallum said.
“Neogen’s growth is creating good local jobs, with the expansion project to add 25 new technical and sales roles to the company’s staffing levels within five years.”
Treasurer and Minister for Trade and Investment Cameron Dick said the rapidly growing demand for DNA testing in the livestock industry had encouraged the Neogen Australasia investment at Hume Drive.
“Neogen is already performing up to one million scientific tests a year with its high-end genomic analysis tools and robotic processing, which more than doubles its previous capacity,” Mr Dick said.
“This is great news for our state, particularly our prized beef industry, as Queensland is Australia’s largest beef producer with exports valued at $6.3 billion in the past 12 months to July 2022.”
Neogen’s move was assisted by the Queensland Government’s Advance Queensland Industry Attraction Fund.
Neogen Australasia parent company, Neogen Corporation, is based in the United States.
Neogen Australasia senior director Bobby Creasman said the new facility provided room to grow into the future and to assist the local, rural employment market and the agricultural industry.
