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.
Waikato milk processor Tatua has whipped its Dairy Whip product to new heights, literally - by transforming one of their 12 metre high silos into a can of Tatua Dairy Whip.
Tatua chief executive Paul McGilvary says the co-op saw an opportunity to market one of its many products by utilising existing infrastructure and factory location.
Tatua is the only manufacturer of aerosol cream in the Southern Hemisphere and sells their Tatua branded aerosol throughout New Zealand and Australia.
It's a chance for us to celebrate making Tatua Dairy Whip for over 30 years and a perfect lead up to our centenary celebrations next year," he says.
"We are trying to highlight the spirit of innovation is alive and well in our community" McGilvary says.
He says awareness will increase for those in the Waikato region as to what is being made and achieved in their own back yard.
Last month's Agritechnica event led to a wide group of manufacturers celebrating successes when the 2026 Tractor of the Year Competition winners, selected by a panel of European journalists, were announced in Hanover Germany.
According to the latest Federated Farmers banking survey, farmers are more satisfied with their bank and less under pressure, however, the sector is well short of confidence levels seen last decade.
Farmer confidence has taken a slight dip according to the final Rabobank rural confidence survey for the year.
Former Agriculture Minister and Otaki farmer Nathan Guy has been appointed New Zealand’s Special Agricultural Trade Envoy (SATE).
Alliance Group has commissioned a new heat pump system at its Mataura processing plant in Southland.
Fonterra has slashed another 50c off its milk price forecast as global milk flows shows no sign of easing.

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