Saturday, 21 December 2024 16:55

New UHT plant construction starts

Written by  Sudesh Kissun
Fonterra employees, community representatives, and local iwi celebrated the start of the project. Fonterra employees, community representatives, and local iwi celebrated the start of the project.

Construction is underway at Fonterra’s new UHT cream plant at Edendale, Southland following a groundbreaking ceremony recently.

Fonterra employees, community representatives, and local iwi celebrated the start of a project with cultural advisor Matu Coleman-Clark blessing the site and project team before the turning of the first sod.

The new UHT plant, which will meet growing demand across Asia is scheduled to begin production in August 2026, initially delivering over 50 million litres of UHT cream annually, with plans to more than double that capacity by 2030. Seventy new roles will be created along with those generated through the construction phase. 

General manager operations, Lower South Island, Andrew Johns, shared his enthusiasm with the group at the event, saying that starting construction marks the first chapter in a long-planned project.

“It’s fantastic to see all the planning and hard mahi come together, and we’re eager to watch the build take shape in the coming months. The new plant is a big investment in our future here at Edendale, and we’re looking forward to seeing the positive impact on our community as a whole as construction progresses.”

Around $150 million dollars will be invested in the expansion which is part of the co-operative’s strategy to grow further value by expanding its Foodservice business in and beyond China and increasing production capacity for high-value products.

More like this

Inequality 'is on the rise'

Economist Shamubeel Eaqub is warning that inequality between countries has fallen markedly over the past 200 years but inequality and political polarisation within countries was on the rise.

Featured

Pāmu farm opens gate to urban visitors

For many urban New Zealanders, stepping into Pāmu’s Pinta dairy farm near Taupo last month was the first time they had had the chance to experience farm life up close.

National

Machinery & Products

Gong for NH dealers

New Holland dealers from around Australia and New Zealand came together last month for the Dealer of the Year Awards,…

A true Kiwi ingenuity

The King Cobra raingun continues to have a huge following in the New Zealand market and is also exported to…

Data crucial to managing water

Watermetrics was formed as a water data collector and currently supplies and services modern technology such as flow meters, soil…

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

Dairy power

OPINION: The good times felt across the dairy sector weren't lost at last week's Beef + Lamb NZ annual meeting.

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter