Fonterra Whareroa sets cheese record, wins top award
Fonterra Whareroa wrapped up a successful season with a record-breaking cheese production volume and several gongs at the co-op's annual Best Site Cup awards.
A Tasmanian dairy farmer’s milk is going into high-nutrition foods for ageing Japanese, Fonterra reports.
Leigh Schuuring and his wife Kellie and family farm at Smithton on the north-west coast of Tasmania beside Bass Strait.
Schuuring had never expected his farm’s milk to become a key ingredient in nourishing ageing Japanese, the co-op says. But it will be, via product made at its Wynyard factory, a 45-minute drive from the farm, starting next month (August).
Fonterra Australia’s ingredients business and a large Japanese food maker will use the milk-derived product in a whey protein concentrate (WPC) for dairy beverages, yoghurt and snack bars for the Japan market.
Fonterra Australia managing director Rene Dedoncker says the WPC made from cheese whey was developed for the Japanese customer in about a year with input from the co-op’s Australian research and operations teams.
“It’s an example of how we are getting higher value out of Australian farmers’ milk and taking it to the world,” he says. “Health-conscious Japanese consumers are turning to protein food and beverages for better health and longer life.”
The Japanese know nutrition can influence good health, he says. They have the highest life expectancy of any country, research suggesting this is largely due to healthy diet.
Dedoncker says Australia is seen as a trusted and safe source of dairy due to its clean, green reputation for food safety and quality.
“We have access to over 100 markets and 30% of the milk we collect in Australia is exported as nutritional powders, milk and protein powders and cheese. Growth prospects for dairy protein ingredients in Asia are strong.”
The global protein ingredients market is forecast to grow by at least 7% to US$43.3 billion by 2024.
Milk from Schuuring’s farm recently won Dairy Australia’s 2017 Gold Milk Quality Award, putting it in the country’s top 100 for quality.
“You don’t always think about what happens to the milk once it leaves the farm. Knowing where it goes gives us a sense of accomplishment,” he says.
Commercial fruit and vegetable growers are being encouraged to cast their votes in the Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) board directors' election.
A unique discovery by a Palmerston North science company, Biolumic, looks set to revolutionise the value and potential of ryegrass and the secret is the application of ultraviolet (UV) light.
A New Zealand company is redefining the global collagen game by turning New Zealand sheepskin into a world-class health product.
With further extreme weather on the way, ANZ Bank is encouraging farmers and business owners impacted by the recent extreme weather and flooding to seek support if they need it.
New Zealand must continue to educate Chinese consumers about the unique qualities of its red meat products and how they differ from competitors, says Silver Fern Farms chief executive Dan Boulton.
There are opportunities outside the farmgate for young farmers to further develop their skills, says 2025 Primary Industries Emerging Leader Award winner Bridie Virbickas.
OPINION: It's official, Fieldays 2025 clocked 110,000 visitors over the four days.
OPINION: The Federated Farmers rural advocacy hub at Fieldays has been touted as a great success.