Fonterra is boosting its UHT production capacity with the installation of new processing packaging lines at a new greenfield site in Waitoa, New Zealand.
The NZ$100 million plant will contain five UHT lines that will produce a range of products including UHT white milk and UHT cream for the food service sector.
The company said the plant will enable it to double its existing UHT production capacity, with the first milk from the plant due to start coming off the line by the middle of next year, for export across the region.
The New Zealand dairy giant is installing processing and packaging equipment from Tetra Pak. Fonterra is a long standing Tetra Pak customer, having worked together in the UHT milk market for more than three decades.
Tetra Pak's executive vice-president commercial operations, Nils
Björkman, said the plant was key to Fonterra's ambitions to satisfy the
Asian market's growing appetite for dairy products.
“Rising
incomes across Asia mean that more and more families want milk in their
daily diets. And high quality, nutritious milk from New Zealand is much
sought after in countries across the region,” he said.
