The company recently sold 1350 tonnes of feed for dairy cows being shipped to China, says chief executive Graeme Smith.
It has dairy, sheep and beef farmer customers in Taranaki, and is growing its business in Wanganui, Manawatu, East Coast and Wairarapa. “This is a great growth region for red meat and dairy,” Smith says. “And with our key ingredients mainly sourced from local suppliers, we’re supporting a stronger arable sector.”
He says the ‘source in New Zealand’ policy has seen local grain contracts secured, and SealesWinslow is geared up to buy thousands of tonnes more grain from farmers in the area as it grows.
“For our local customers, there’s the added benefit of knowing that the bulk of their feed is locally produced.”
SealesWinslow earlier this year was bought by Ballance Agri-Nutrients.
Ballance chief executive Larry Bilodeau says its 100% ownership will supports its growth, the Wanganui expansion being a good example. “Many of our farmer shareholders are now providing grain to our animal nutrient division, which is good for them and for the economy.”
With the mill now in production, nine staff are in work and there’s the potential to double the workforce during seasonal demand peaks.
Smith says the company’s technical sales staff do on-farm analysis and tailoring of feed solutions for profitable production. “In animal feed terms, it’s the equivalent of a person getting sound, science backed diet advice from a qualified nutritionist, rather than relying on the health claims made on food packaging.”
SealesWinslow operations manager Chris Brown says the company can formulate and custom blend to a farm’s nutritional requirements. The plant can produce blends, pellets and kibbled maize.
Output is 12 to 15 tonnes per hour. The Wanganui mill is the biggest and fastest of the SealesWinslow plants.
