Open Country opens butter plant
When American retail giant Cosco came to audit Open Country Dairy’s new butter plant at the Waharoa site and give the green light to supply their American stores, they allowed themselves a week for the exercise.
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.
