Tuesday, 21 February 2012 15:34

Dairy goat co-op on the up

Written by 

GOAT MILK sales growth of 50% in two years is prompting the Dairy Goat Cooperative (Hamilton) to look for suppliers in Northland and Taranaki.

"We now export to 20 countries, and sales in Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, Thailand and Korea keep growing at record levels," co-op chief executive Dave Stanley told a recent meeting of the Waikato branch of the New Zealand Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Science.

When Stanley started with the co-op, in 1993, he was the only employee. Now there are 100, and turnover tops $100m/year from four plants in Hamilton drying, blending and canning product.

"Our plants are state-of-the-art, and farmers are hugely impressed when we take them round the sites."

Stanley says the co-op has deliberately kept a low profile as, compared to bovine dairy, it's still a niche market.

"But despite producing a comparatively high priced product for infant food, our customers, particularly in Asia, seem prepared to pay for it in increasing numbers."

Goat milk is secreted in the same way as human's – apocrine secretion – whereas cow's is merocrine secretion. Protein differences are important.

"Some reports say many Asians are lactose intolerant [hence demand for goat milk].

"In fact, goat milk also contains lactose, but it's the different proteins that mainly make the difference."

More like this

Can't beat the goodness of milk

Plant-based beverages are expensive and provide only a small fraction of the nutritional goodness of cow's milk, according to a new study done in Massey University.

Featured

$52,500 fine for effluent mismanagement

A Taupiri farming company has been convicted and fined $52,500 in the Hamilton District Court for the unlawful discharge of dairy effluent into the environment.

Ospri brings Bovine TB testing in-house

The move to bring bovine TB testing in-house at Ospri officially started this month, as a team of 37 skilled and experienced technicians begin work with the disease eradication agency.

National

Machinery & Products

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Arable advocacy?

OPINION: Spare a thought for the arable farmer, squeezed on one side by soft global prices and on the other…

Gaslight much?

OPINION: Labour leader Chris 'Chippy' Hipkins is carrying on the world-class gaslighting of the nation that he and his cohorts…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter