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.
Pineapple-flavoured milk and cream are two of the products being churned out by Fonterra's new $120 million UHT milk processing site at Waitoa in the Waikato.
The state-of-the-art milk plant, equipped with Tetra Pak machines, was opened today by Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy.
The pineapple milk, known as 'kid's milk', is popular in China. Anchor UHT cream packs made at the plant are sold to food service industry in Asia.
The UHT plant will have five production lines when fully operational. Today, two lines were operating- making cream and kid's milk.
Fonterra chairman John Wilson says there is provision to expand to eight production lines.
"We expect that to happen quite soon....in a couple of years. But it will happen once we fill the existing lines and when there is demand."
Fonterra managing director global operations Robert Spurway says 1200 staff and contractors were involved in the 12-month project.
"We are very proud of the finished plant," he says.
At full capacity the plant can produce 28 packets of UHT milk per second. It employs 80 people.
The opening of the plant was attended by Fonterra chief executive Theo Spierings and Tetra Pak's global head Denis Jonsson. A group of Chinese food service industry leaders also attended the opening.
*Read the full story oon the new UHT milk plant in the November 11 issue of Dairy News.
A technical lab manager for Apata, Phoebe Scherer, has won the Bay of Plenty 2025 Young Grower regional title.
Following heavy rain which caused flooding in parts of Nelson-Tasman and sewerage overflows in Marlborough, the Insurance & Financial Services Ombudsman Scheme (IFSO Scheme) is urging homeowners and tenants to be cautious when cleaning up and to take the right steps to support claims.
Newly elected Federated Farmers meat and wool group chair Richard Dawkins says he will continue the great work done his predecessor Toby Williams.
Hosted by ginger dynamo Te Radar, the Fieldays Innovation Award Winners Event put the spotlight on the agricultural industry's most promising ideas.
According to DairyNZ's latest Econ Tracker update, there has been a rise in the forecast breakeven milk price for the 2025/26 season.
Despite the rain and a liberal coating of mud, engines roared, and the 50th Fieldays Tractor Pull Competition drew crowds of spectators across the four days of the annual event.
OPINION: ACT MP Mark Cameron isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but he certainly calls it how he sees it, holding…
OPINION: Did former PM Jacinda Ardern get fawning reviews for her book?