Wednesday, 14 December 2016 09:00

Fonterra's $240 million investment welcomed

Written by 
Fonterra’s IQF Mozzarella in action. Fonterra’s IQF Mozzarella in action.

Primary Industries Ministers Nathan Guy and Jo Goodhew have welcomed Fonterra's announcement that it will be investing $240 million to build a new mozzarella plant at its Clandeboye site in South Canterbury.

This has been driven in part by the success of the Primary Growth Partnership (PGP), they say.

"This will be the single largest foodservice investment in the history of New Zealand's dairy industry, and comes thanks to the success of the Transforming the Dairy Value Chain PGP programme," says Guy.

“This has developed world-leading technology that can produce natural individual quick frozen mozzarella in six hours, a process that traditionally took three months. This has given Fonterra the confidence to invest in a new plant, in addition to the $72 million expansion in 2013.

"This is another success story for the Primary Growth Partnership and for innovation in the primary sector.”

Associate Primary Industries Minister and MP for Rangitata, Jo Goodhew, says the investment will be a major boost for the regional economy.

“I went to school next door to the Clandeboye factory, which is now the education centre for the expanded site, so I know how important Clandeboye is to the local community,” says Goodhew.

"All of this investment and innovation is creating new jobs in South Canterbury, scaling up production and contributing to the region's economy.

"This is a prime example of the benefits that come from the government and industry working together to support research and development."

Transforming the Dairy Value Chain is a $170 million PGP programme co-funded by industry and the Ministry for Primary Industries. It is helping to create new dairy products, increase on-farm productivity, reduce environmental impacts, and improve agricultural education.

More information is available here.

More like this

Fonterra's in good shape

Fonterra released its interim results last month, showing a continuation of the strong earnings performance delivered by the co-op through the 2023 financial year. Here’s what Fonterra chair Peter McBride and chief executive Miles Hurrell said about the results…

China trade

OPINION: Last week's revelation that data relating to New Zealand MPs was stolen amid Chinese state-sponsored cyber espionage targeting two arms of the country’s Parliament could test the long-standing trade relations between the two countries.

Featured

Vaccinate against new lepto strain

A vet is calling for all animals to be vaccinated against a new strain of leptospirosis (lepto) discovered on New Zealand dairy farms in recent years.

TV series to combat food waste

Rural banker Rabobank is partnering with Food Rescue Kitchen on a new TV series which airs this weekend that aims to shine a light on the real and growing issues of food waste, food poverty and social isolation in New Zealand.

National

Frontline biosecurity 'untouchable'

Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard has reiterated that 'frontline' biosecurity services within Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) will not be cut…

Machinery & Products

New name, new ideas

KGM New Zealand, is part of the London headquartered Inchcape Group, who increased its NZ presence in August 2023 with…

All-terrain fert spreading mode

Effluent specialists the Samson Group have developed a new double unloading system to help optimise uphill and downhill organic fertiliser…

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

Plant-based bubble bursts

OPINION: Talking about plant-based food: “Chicken-free chicken” start-up Sunfed has had its valuation slashed to zero by major investor Blackbird…

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter