US remains important market - Fonterra
Fonterra says the US continues to be an important market for New Zealand dairy and the co-op.
There was a royal touch at the opening of Fonterra’s latest joint venture overseas.
The co-op’s new site at Heerenveen in the Netherlands was officially opened overnight by King Willem-Alexander; Fonterra chairman John Wilson and chief executive Theo Spierings were also present.
The Heerenveen consists of two plants side by side; Dutch processor Royal A-ware’s plant produces cheese for its customers in Europe, while Fonterra’s plant processes the whey and lactose from A-ware’s plant, as by-products of the cheese-making process.
The 25-hectare site represents a significant investment and will give Fonterra cost-effective, reliable and continual access to high-quality whey and lactose, to use in manufacturing high-value paediatric, maternal and sports nutrition products.
Spierings said the site was an integral part of Fonterra’s long-term strategy for building global milk pools.
“Our strategy is a good fit with A-ware’s long-term vision, so it’s a win-win for both companies and it’s great to see the partnership come to fruition,” Spierings says.
“We have substantial intellectual property in manufacturing functional whey protein ingredients, and having a high-quality, high-volume source based in Europe will allow us to commercialise these innovations for our customers all over the world.”
It is Fonterra’s first wholly owned and operated ingredients plant in Europe, processing one billion litres of milk each year, and producing 5,000 metric tonnes of whey protein and 25,000 metric tonnes of lactose annually.
The partnership increases Fonterra’s ability to access a globally traded whey protein and lactose market that was worth more than NZ$2.7 billion in 2014.
The King was given a tour of the site, talking with employees and seeing first-hand how the partnership works.
Federated Farmers supports a review of the current genetic technology legislation but insists that a farmer’s right to either choose or reject it must be protected.
New Zealand’s top business leaders are urging the US Administration to review “unjustified and discriminatory tariffs” imposed on Kiwi exporters.
New tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump signal an uncertain future, but New Zealand farmers know how to adapt to changing conditions, says Auriga Martin, chief executive of Farm Focus.
A global trade war beckons, which is bad news for a small open economy like New Zealand, warns Mark Smith ASB senior economist.
Carterton's Awakare Farm has long stood as a place where family, tradition and innovation intersect.
Fonterra says the US continues to be an important market for New Zealand dairy and the co-op.
OPINION: Is it the beginning of the end for Greenpeace?
OPINION: The good times felt across the dairy sector weren't lost at last week's Beef + Lamb NZ annual meeting.