Ah Tatua, You've Done It Again!
Waikato milk processor Tatua has again declared a record milk payout to farmer shareholders, leaving other processors in the dust.
Synlait Milk has received MPI approval of its risk management programme at its dry blending and consumer packaging plant.
The approval enables Synlait Milk to now pack and export retail-ready product from its manufacturing site, having met the New Zealand food safety requirements of the Animal Products Act 1999.
The only exception is for exports of finished infant formula to China. Documentation required to support Synlait Milk's application for registration as an exporter of finished infant formula to China was sent to the Chinese regulatory body today by MPI.
Synlait managing director John Penno says it's a major milestone towards meeting customer demand for total product integrity from grass to glass.
"Today is an important day for our business. We now have an integrated facility on one site that gives us full manufacturing control and delivers on the needs of consumers looking for nutritious and safe food," says Penno.
"The packaging plant provides further support for our value added strategy of supplying high quality finished infant formula and nutritional products to our customers.
"We look forward with confidence to working with authorities in New Zealand and China to achieve registration as soon as possible."
The sophisticated packaging plant was built in nine months at a cost of $28.5 million and is the only one of its kind in the South Island, New Zealand. It has a processing capacity of 30,000 metric tonnes per annum, or around 33 million 900 gram cans of powder.
Entries opened on Monday, 5 October 2026 for the 2027 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards (NZDIA), which organisers describe as the nation's biggest celebration of excellence in the dairy sector.
Waikato milk processor Tatua has again declared a record milk payout to farmer shareholders, leaving other processors in the dust.
A Labour-led Government won’t be bringing back the controversial freshwater rules of 2020.
National’s much-touted free trade deal with India featured in the Rural Issues Debate at Mystery Creek, Hamilton on Wednesday night.
New Zealand's 2026-27 freshwater fishing season has opened, with anglers encouraged to head to rivers and lakes over the coming days as conditions look favourable across much of the country.
Central Otago District Council (CODC) has voted against a plan to spread treated sewage sludge from Cromwell and Alexandra on farmland near Lauder, a decision Federated Farmers says reflects strong opposition from rural residents.

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