Pyrenees Hay Processors Co Operative Limited, Avoca, VIC

Pyrenees Hay is the only farmer owned dedicated hay growing, processing and trading cooperative in Australia established in 2001 by local Farmers, realising their dream of becoming a totally independent grower/exporter of premium oaten hay. The Pyrenees Hay Head Office, processing, storage facility, weighbridge and growing areas are situated in and around Avoca, approximately 2 hours north of the Port of Melbourne . Pyrenees Hay, specialises in growing, processing and exporting premium quality Australian Oaten Hay. The first stage in achieving and maintaining premium standards is for all growers to operate under the same Quality Management System. This system encompasses guidelines for soil preparation, growing, cutting and curing, and pre and post baling. Pyrenees Hay has the capability of storing 5, 000 metric tonnes of baled hay in sheds on-site and a further 5, 000 metric tonnes in sheds on-farms. The compacting process is all completed at the Avoca plant where quality standards are strictly enforced and maintained. The hay is compressed, strapped, packed into 26kg bales and with or without stretch wrap. Finally, in keeping with the Co-operatives guidelines regarding self-sufficiency, export containers are packed and fumigated on site by accredited Pyrenees Hay staff prior to being transported to the Port of Melbourne . Every step in each process is under the scrutiny of dedicated and committed people, each fully aware of the exacting standards required to satisfy the export market. The Total Quality Management systems adopted by Pyrenees Hay act as the catalyst in each stage of the process of producing oaten hay of the highest quality. The end result is the ability to constantly supply buyers with Oaten Hay, each and every time. After all, this was the exact outcome envisaged by the group of local Farmers back in 2000, when the idea was first discussed.