Friday, 19 February 2016 12:46

Southern Dairy Hub site found

Written by 
The Southern Dairy Hub will be a southern research and development dairying centre. The Southern Dairy Hub will be a southern research and development dairying centre.

A conditional agreement on two properties brings the Southern Dairy Hub (SDH) vision closer to realisation.

Chair Maurice Hardie says the conditional agreement on two properties is now pending the satisfaction of a number of minimum requirements for both parties.

The Southern Dairy Hub will be a southern research and development dairying centre.

"This is an important milestone in our plan to build a facility that is a partnership between local farmers, DairyNZ and AgResearch; the new farm will enable local dairy farming issues to be researched on southern soils in southern conditions," Hardie says.

"During late December 2015 and early January 2016 we completed conditional sales and purchase agreements for two adjoining properties. The agreements are however subject to considerable due diligence by ourselves and one of the vendors."

Due diligence may take up to 180 days allowing time for the completion of the necessary resource consenting, design, planning and business case models to be approved by all of the investors.

"Our aim is to start developing the properties from the beginning of October 2016 with the construction of infrastructure starting late October 2016 and the delivery of a completed facility by June 1, 2017."

The Southern Dairy Hub is a collaborative project being developed by AgResearch, DairyNZ and the Southern Dairy Development Trust with a proposed cost of $26.5 million to build. More than $1.3 million has been pledged by local southern farmers. The completed Hub will allow for dairy farmer-led and local issues to be researched on southern soils in southern conditions.

The Southern Dairy Hub will include a 300-380ha dairy farm with four comparative herds of about 200 cows each, as well as buildings for research, demonstration, education and farmer meetings.

www.southerndairyhub.co.nz 

More like this

Hub proposal heads to the tape

Time is running out for southern dairy farmers to pledge their support for the proposed Southern Dairy Hub, say the promoters.

Featured

Horticulture exports hit $8.4B, surge toward $10B by 2029

A brilliant result and great news for growers and regional economies. That's how horticulture sector leaders are describing the news that sector exports for the year ended June 30 will reach $8.4 billion - an increase of 19% on last year and is forecast to hit close to $10 billion in 2029.

National

Machinery & Products

Farming smarter with technology

The National Fieldays is an annual fixture in the farming calendar: it draws in thousands of farmers, contractors, and industry…

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

110,000 visitors!

OPINION: It's official, Fieldays 2025 clocked 110,000 visitors over the four days.

Sticky situation

OPINION: The Federated Farmers rural advocacy hub at Fieldays has been touted as a great success.

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter