Mars Petcare unveils $112m plan to make more cat food in Wodonga

The multinational company announced the increased production on Friday June 2, 2023.

It will involve a $112.6 million investment in a 7800 square metre plant which will be dedicated to turning out single serve pouches previously made overseas by Mars.

It is expected 290 million pouches of cat food will be turned out annually from the two new production lines.

Mars Petcare Australia general manager Craig Sargeant said the decision reflected a commitment to "bolstering our local operations by sourcing and making most of our portfolio right here in Australia".

"This significant investment will allow us to respond to pet trends including the continued rise in cat ownership, growing at nearly four per cent per year, more than twice as fast as our dog population," Mr Sargeant said.

"We're also seeing increased demand for convenience, with pouch products representing half of the Australian wet cat food market and growing at nearly 10 per cent per year."

The project has received funding from government agency Regional Development Victoria.

Regional Development Minister Harriet Shing was pleased to assist Mars.

"We're continuing to work with rural and regional producers to support investment in growth industries, to cement Mars Petcare's long-term operations and workforce in Wodonga and its place in a strong market," she said.

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