Fonterra celebrates southern cheese

Ribbon cuttings have been held to celebrate successful opening seasons for the new mozzarella plant at Fonterra’s Clandeboye site near Timaru, along with three new plants at its southernmost site at Edendale.

Fonterra’s managing director of global operations Robert Spurway says these expansions generate cash not only for the co-operative’s farmers but also help to bolster rural and regional economies.

“The buoyancy of New Zealand’s rural economies has long been the backbone of our national economy.  Investing in dairy processing in towns like Clandeboye and Edendale supports the local dairy workforce, brings opportunities for trades, consultants and contractors and has a flow-on effect for a range of local businesses,” he says.

More than 60 new full time jobs have been created between the projects, which have also provided work for thousands more throughout the course of both builds.

“While our preference is to fill roles locally, these expansions are also a drawcard for those looking to move from outside of the region, bringing investment in housing and infrastructure,” says Spurway.

Leonie Guiney, director at Fonterra, says, “Our new plants enabled our co-op to avoid incurring additional costs at the peak of the current season.  We are achieving higher yields and quality, and the flexibility to vary our product mix is enabling us to earn margins above the prevailing market prices.”