WORLD-CLASS infrastructure, such as Dubbo's Regional Livestock Markets, will be vital in helping the region's farmers capitalise on unprecedented market opportunities in Asia, according to Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss.
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Mr Truss, alongside Parkes MP Mark Coulton and Dubbo mayor Mathew Dickerson, took the opportunity to tour the cattle facilities at Dubbo saleyards, which are set to receive a $6.58 million upgrade after being awarded a federal government National Stronger Regions Fund (NSRF) grant earlier this year.
Dubbo City Council is contributing $3.29 million to the project, which is set to include a new weighbridge, up to 200 additional sale pens, loading ramp and drafting area.
"This investment will certainly help to ensure that Dubbo not only has a larger selling centre, but also one that meets the very best of standards," Mr Truss said.
"We've got tremendous market opportunities now for Australian agriculture that we have never known. Clearly, if we want to tap the best markets we have to have the best supply chains, we've got to have the best processing system. We need to have high quality infrastructure."
The Dubbo saleyards are the number one combined cattle and sheep saleyards in Australia by throughput, and contribute more than $75 million annually to city's economy.
"This infrastructure is incredibly valuable for the community of Dubbo but more so for the wider region," Mr Coulton said.
"Livestock is drawn from all over western NSW and southern QLD into this facility and so the ability for producers to have an up-to-date, modern selling facility with competition from buyers, access to killing works is very, very important to the economy of western NSW."