increase font size
Fonterra’s sixth application centre opened in Wuhan this month.
Fonterra has opened its sixth application centre in China to meet growing demand for foodservice offerings.
Based in Wuhan, the new application centre will bring the co-op closer to the local market and enable rapid launch of innovative product applications in response to market trends and local customers' needs.
The co-op says application centres play a pivotal role in driving innovation and tailoring Fonterra's foodservice offerings to the tastes, culture and trends of the area in which they're located.
Speaking at the centre's opening ceremony this month, Teh-han Chow, Fonterra Greater China chief executive says Wuhan is renowned for its strategic location as a gateway to China's heartland and presents opportunities for high-quality development.
"Wuhan, as a strategic stronghold for the rise of central China and a new first-tier city, has been actively developing key industries such as beverage, premium tea and dairy products in recent years. It has become a culinary icon in central China with strong dining consumption momentum.
"Our application centre in Wuhan aims to not only service the strong demand in central China, but also support the development of the local dairy industry and expand its influence on the national market."
The newly opened facility will provide a platform to explore the use of Fonterra's dairy products across various foodservice channels. Fonterra's other application centres in China are in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Shenzhen.
The Wuhan application centre is equipped with modern facilities, designed for customer visits and large-scale demonstrations. A team of Fonterra's technical experts and chefs are based at this application centre. They will help co-create diverse application scenarios and provide interactive experience for customers through product development seminars, demonstrations, and virtual live teachings.
Earlier this month, Fonterra announced that it would invest $150 million to build a new UHT cream plant at its Edendale site in Southland.
The investment is part of the co-operative's strategy to grow further value by expanding its Foodservice business in Asia and increasing production capacity for high-value products.
OPINION: There is zero chance that someone who joined Fonterra as a lobbyist, then served as a general manager of Fonterra's nutrient management programme, and sat on the board of Export NZ, a division of lobbyist group Business New Zealand, doesn't understand that local butter (and milk and cheese) prices are set by the international commodity price.
Kiwis love their butter, and that's great because New Zealand produces some of the best butter in the world. But when the price of butter goes up, it's tough for some, particularly when many other grocery staples have also gone up and the heat goes on co-operative Fonterra, the country's main butter maker. Here the co-op explains why butter prices are so high right now.
An A$2 billion bid for Fonterra's Oceania business would be great news, according to Forsyth Barr senior analyst, equities, Matt Montgomerie.
If you find a new consumer in a developed wine market, you are taking them from someone else, says Blank Canvas co-founder Sophie Parker-Thomson MW.
The large 2025 harvest will exacerbate the wine industry's "lingering" supply from recent vintages, New Zealand Winegrowers Chief Executive Philip Gregan told attendees at Grape Days events around the country in June.
New Zealand avocado growers have received a major boost by securing a collective FernMark Licence for their exports.
Beef + Lamb NZ's countrywide director roadshow arrived in Feilding last week, bringing with it ongoing positivity in the sector, an overview of the work B+LNZ does on behalf of levypayers and a proposed change on how the levy would be collected in the future.
A stronger than expected outlook for dairy has prompted one bank to lift its 2025-26 season forecast milk price by 75c to $10.25/kgMS.
Chinese dairy giant Yili Group says its New Zealand operations are on track for strong revenue growth in 2025 after recording significant year-on-year growth for the first half of the year.
Trade Minister Todd McClay says the US tariff decision appears to be based on a calculation of trade deficits, with countries running a surplus with the US moved to the higher rate.
Alliance Group has announced plans to sell a 65% stake in the farmer-owned co-operative to Irish meat processor Dawn Meats Group for $250 million.
OPINION: Sydney has a $12 million milk disposal problem.
OPINION: Canterbury milk processor Synlait's recovery seems to have hit another snag.
