Growers from the Ord River Irrigation Area (ORIA) have invested more than $760,000 to build a new bulk storage terminal in Wyndham to enhance the area's export potential.
Opening the new terminal this week, Agriculture Minister Ernie Bridge said the Ord was an area of unlimited potential, with huge capacity to tap into major export markets.
"This latest initiative by the Ord River District Co-operative will greatly enhance the capacity of Wyndham Port to act as a gateway to the Ord River Irrigation Area," he said.
The multi-purpose storage facility will initially be used to store maize for export from the ORIA to markets in Papua New Guinea and South East Asia. It is anticipated that at least 10,000 tonnes will be exported from the 1992 harvest.
The multi-purpose design ensures it will also be suitable for storage and export of raw sugar, in line with plans by the Co-operative to gradually develop a major sugar industry on the Ord.
It has been designed to be expanded as increased capacity is required.
The terminal will also be used to store bulk fertiliser consigned to the ORIA via Wyndham.
In addition to the building, a drive-over conveyor system will be used on the wharf for loading into the existing ship-loader.
The terminal was constructed on the old Wyndham Abattoir site, which was purchased by the Ord River District Co-operative earlier this year to enable the project to proceed.
