What Would Synlait Be Worth to Fonterra or a2 Milk?
Speculation of a possible joint move by Fonterra and a2 Milk to buy Synlait raises a much bigger strategic question, says agribusiness expert Dr Nic Lees.
The Guangzhou facility is Fonterra's second in China, after Shanghai, and reflects the growing demand for the company's premium Anchor-branded foodservice products and accompanying services.
Equipped with advanced equipment and experienced technical experts and professional chefs, the application centre will help Fonterra to feed Southern China's rapidly growing appetite for dairy.
"China's casual dining and bakery market has developed rapidly in recent years, with an annual growth rate above 20%." says Christina Zhu, managing director, Fonterra Greater China.
"Within that overall growth, the demand for food made with premium dairy products also continues to rise. As the cultural and economic hub of Southern China, we are seeing strong growth in Guangzhou and are excited to bring our specialist application centre services to customers here."
Fonterra says the centre will offer "total dairy solutions" for its foodservices customers, including hosting technology demonstrations, bespoke professional training, recipe development and marketing workshops.
Fonterra's team of professional chefs based at the centre will collaborate with the co-op's global research and development teams to bring new products to China.
"Fonterra is committed to growing and developing the Chinese dairy industry alongside our partners and we believe this facility is a great platform for delivering on this commitment by sharing our rich New Zealand dairy knowledge and expertise with our local partners." says Zhu.
