increase font size
Fonterra will invest a further $30m to expand its Dry Distribution Centre at its Whareroa site in Taranaki.
This follows a $23m upgrade of the Whareroa coolstores last year, bringing the total capital investment in the logistics infrastructure on site to more than $50 million since 2011.
Fonterra director of logistics, Mark Leslie, says the project is part of Fonterra's overall drive to simplify their supply chain and reduce the associated costs.
"These investments are part of a strategy to deliver more products, more directly to ports for export.
"Our capacity to process milk continues to increase, which means that our storage capacity must grow to meet this. Where possible we want to store product at the point of manufacture to reduce costs," says Leslie.
Fonterra has steadily increased onsite storage capacity building four distribution centres since 2008 at Crawford Street in the Waikato, Mosgiel near Dunedin, Kauri in Whangarei and Darfield in Canterbury.
"This investment at our Whareroa facility will improve our logistics network's storage capacity and address existing capacity constraints in the region.
"This means we are able to reduce the number of freight movements from where a product is manufactured through to delivery to the customer which reduces our carbon footprint and ultimately saves on transport costs," says Leslie.
Construction is expected to be complete by August 2014.
In the past, much has been made of the concept of farm to fork, but an Australian expert in food science and marketing with experience in the dairy industry, Dr Angeline Achariya, says the reverse of this slogan is critical to win modern day consumers.
A four year trial has reaffirmed that mixing plantain into dairy pastures can help reduce nitrogen losses to freshwater while maintaining milk production and profitability, say researchers.
Fonterra has opened its upgraded Chengdu Application Centre, bringing New Zealand dairy expertise closer to customers in one of China's fastest-growing regions.
Tatua chair Stephen Allen says he leaves the co-op with a deep sense of gratitude for the people who have contributed to its success.
Federated Farmers president Colin Hurst and his family raised a glass of milk last week to toast the start of a new addition to their farming operation at Makihihi, south of Timaru.
For Taupiri dairy farmers Logan and Sian Dawson, their involvement in the NZ Dairy Industry Awards has been a key catalyst in the growth of their business - the experience helping shape how they approach the farm ownership pathway they are pursuing today.
West Otago dairy farmer Luke Kane has been awarded the 2026 Rabobank Dr John Morris Business Development Prize.
OPINION: As the general election approaches, political parties are churning out policies in the hope of attracting more votes.
An LIC bull, Tronnoco AR Sadio-ET S3F, bred by Tony and Keri O'Connor of Tronnoco Farming Co Ltd near Timaru, has won the 2026 Mahoe Trophy.
With forecasters advising El Niño conditions will develop through winter and strengthen into spring and summer, Ballance Agri-Nutrients is encouraging farmers and growers to think ahead about nutrient planning and be prepared to work around challenging weather conditions.
A Palmerston North shearer has been sentenced to six months' community detention and 12 months' supervision after being found to have physically abused three lambs while shearing them.
