Thursday, 02 November 2017 11:13

Taranaki - true dairy heartland

Written by  Sudesh Kissun
Fonterra's Whareroa plant in Hawera. Fonterra's Whareroa plant in Hawera.

Taranaki is one the true heartlands of the dairy industry, says Fonterra chairman John Wilson.

He made the comment while opening the co-op’s annual general meeting today at its Whareroa plant in Hawera.

“The co-op model first arrived in Taranaki back in 1890s and became the mainstay of the region’s dairy industry,” he says.

Taranaki has always been at the forefront of dairy innovation; the rotary cowshed was invented in the region.

New Zealand’s first dairy export is credited to a Taranaki – the first shipment of butter was sent to the UK from here.

Wilson says the country now exports on average $14 billion of dairy products every year.

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