Updated. 27th June 2013

Other Names

• Warro Games Meat¹

Current Operation

• Is operating as at June 2013.¹
• Operates as a Kangaroo processing site.¹

Location

Source – Hema Maps. Australia Truckies Atlas

Owner

• L. Micklebourgh & B Micklebourgh.¹

Operation

• Processes 1500 kangaroos a week for human domestic consumption and pet food markets²
• Employs 22 full time²
• supplies fillets on weekly basis to wholesaler who distributes to Adelaide, Melbourne & Sydney²
• Produce manufactig meat – 12 t per week – mainly goes to pet stores.²
• Each carcase for human consumption is worth $37 to processor²

• Kangaroo processors pay levy to Dept of Agriculture – Fisheries and Forestry³
  • 7c per carcase for human consumption³
  • 3c/kg for pet meat³
  • Levy money is distributed to national residue survey and R & D³
    • Human consumption carcases processed collected $210,000 (2010 – 2013)³ = 3M carcases
    • Pet food processed collected $30,000(2010-2013)³ = 1M kg processed
    • R & D – one project in current study – $240,000 “welfare and humaneness of commercially harvested kangaroos”, conslude August 2013³

• Kangaroo Industry Association of Australia (KIAA)³

History

Prior

• Had been other kangaroo works in QLD but many have closed down²

1980’s

• Had started in skins trade and had begun a pet food supply business.²

2004 – 2008

• height of pet food business was processing 40t of meat a week.²
• Operation to which the pet food was going centralised and changed demand of meat to cause orders to dwindle²
• requirements came in that even pet food processing plants had to be accredited to process meat to human consumption standards²
• Surat works was purchased, renovated.²

2009

• QLD Floods caused business to be completely surrounded by water and shutdown for 3 months²
• Russian markets closed down that roo meat was exported too.²
• Domestic market became flooded with roo meat product.²

2010

• Floods cut off access around site for 3 months²

2011

• Floods cut off access around site for 3 months²

2013

• Predicted increase in electricity prices could ultimately shut down the business¹
  • Electricity has more than doubled in past 3 years.¹
  • currently $22,000 per quarter¹
  • Doesn’t include chiller 6 boxes that cost $1,000 each a quarter to operate¹

• Floods and debt load has had devasting effect on operation of business.²
• Second largest employer in town behind Council.²

Sources

1. ‘Power price rise crippling’ QLD Country life 06.06.13
2. ‘Surat processor hops ahead’ QLD Country life 06.06.13
3. ‘Market working on big issues’ QLD Countrylife 06.06.13

Tagged: Australian meat processing, Australian meat processing facilities, currently operating meat processors in Australia, Queensland meat processors, Surat kangaroo meat processor, wild game meat processing facilities