The Alliance Group is investing $12.5 million to install the latest processing technology at its Lorneville plant as part of a major upgrade at the site.

The company is installing new generation primal cutters, middles and fores technology at the plant near Invercargill.

Alliance Group Chief Executive David Surveyor said the investment was a further step in the cooperative’s strategy to maximise operational performance at Lorneville and across the company’s plant network.

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“The investment will improve our processing efficiency, benefiting our farmer shareholders and support us to build a stronger co-operative," he said.

“The technology has already proven its value at our Dannevirke, Pukeuri and Smithfield plants, with safety, labour and yield efficiency improvements."

He said this multi-million investment also underlined Alliance’s commitment to the Lorneville plant and to Southland.

The programme includes an X-ray unit to analyse each carcase, the latest forequarter robotic cutting technology and a footprint that will enable the addition of a full-length flap removal station in the future.

Further investments, due to be completed at Lorneville this year, include a major engine room upgrade and the reconfiguration of the co-operative’s modern venison plant so it can also process

beef.

Alliance Group is Southland’s largest employer and the Lorneville plant is the world’s largest ovine processing plant, employing up to 2,000 people in peak season.