Tuesday, 08 March 2016 14:55

New plants, more jobs

Written by 
Fonterra managing director global operations Robert Spurway. Fonterra managing director global operations Robert Spurway.

Sixty new dairy process jobs were created when Fonterra opened four plants in the South Island recently.

First came the Mozzarella plant at the Clandeboye site, followed next day by Deputy Prime Minister Bill English opening three plants at the Edendale site in Southland. The three were an anhydrous milk fat plant, a reverse osmosis plant to make the dryers more efficient and a milk protein concentrate plant.

Some 200 people attended -- Fonterra farmers, staff, iwi and central and local government representatives.

Fonterra managing director global operations Robert Spurway said "Investing in dairy processing in towns like Clandeboye and Edendale supports the local dairy workforce, brings opportunities for tradesmen, consultants and contractors and has a flow-on effect for local businesses."

Leading up to the 60 process jobs, the projects have also provided work for thousands of people during construction.

Spurway said "While our preference is to fill roles locally, these expansions are also a drawcard for people looking to move in from outside the region, bringing investment in housing and infrastructure."

These new plants help Fonterra to shift milk into more products that deliver higher returns.

After attending both events, Fonterra director Leonie Guiney said "the site expansions had already contributed to Fonterra's improved performance in the first quarter of the current financial year".

"Our new plants enabled our co-op to avoid incurring additional costs at the peak of the current season. We are achieving higher yields and quality, and the flexibility to vary our product mix is enabling us to earn margins above the prevailing market prices."

More like this

All eyes on NZ milk supply

All eyes are on milk production in New Zealand and its impact on global dairy prices in the coming months.

"Our" business?

OPINION: One particular bone the Hound has been gnawing on for years now is how the chattering classes want it both ways when it comes to the success of NZ's dairy industry.

Farmers' call

OPINION: Fonterra's $4.22 billion consumer business sale to Lactalis is ruffling a few feathers outside the dairy industry.

Wasted energy

OPINION: Finance Minister Nicola Willis could have saved her staff and MBIE time and effort over ‘buttergate’ recently by not playing politics with butter prices in the first place.

Featured

All eyes on NZ milk supply

All eyes are on milk production in New Zealand and its impact on global dairy prices in the coming months.

National

Machinery & Products

JDLink Boost for NZ farms

Connectivity is widely recognised as one of the biggest challenges facing farmers, but it is now being overcome through the…

New generation Defender HD11

The all-new 2026 Can-Am Defender HD11 looks likely to raise the bar in the highly competitive side-by-side category.

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

Building trust

OPINION: The war of words between Southland farmers and Environment Southland over winter grazing inspections reflects a deep lack of trust…

No Joy

OPINION: Milking It understands a formal disciplinary process is being conducted by Victoria University of Wellington on what one of…

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter