Fonterra opens €99.8m cheese factory in Australia

Fonterra has opened a new cheese plant in Australia to replace the company’s previous facility which was destroyed by a fire in 2014.

The €99.8 million factory based in Stanhope, Victoria will be able to process up to 1.3m litres of milk every day; the company hopes this will meet the growing demand for cheese domestically and in China and Japan.

René Dedoncker, managing director, Fonterra Australia, says, “The new Stanhope cheese plant helps us build on our market position, ensuring we have a sustainable business that delivers to everyone along the value chain.”

In addition to this, Fonterra has acquired a 10% stake in Lithuanian dairy company Rokiškio sūris for €7.1m.

Dalius Trumpa, chairman of Rokiškio sūris, comments, “Fonterra is a leading global company, and by becoming a shareholder of Rokiškio sūris it lifts our company to the very different, global level.”