GERMANY &#8211, Tuffi Campina emzett’s drive to streamline production and increase efficiency has reached its dairy plant in Prenzlau, 115km north of Berlin.

Production of bottled fresh milk was discontinued last week to make way for the manufacture of butter, powder and quark. The company believes that specialisation at each plant will improve overall efficiency. Fifteen of the 120 employees at the factory will lose their jobs.

Announcing the move at a staff meeting last week, plant manager Kurt Thorhauer said: “We don’t fill milk bottles for the sake of it, we need to earn money rather than throw it away.”

* Campina International is setting its sights on international markets in order to become a global player in long life yogurts and desserts.

In 2000, a pilot project was launched in which products were sent to Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and Trinidad to examine the commercial potential for long life desserts in the Caribbean. Possibilities are also being investigated in a number of African countries.

Campina hopes that by the end of 2001 it will be clear whether there is a demand for UHT yogurts in these areas.

The company is already active outside Europe with long life products such as evaporated milk, milk powder and sugared condensed milk. Campina has received positive results since exporting Yazoo dairy drinks which, in consultation with Campina Belgium, have an extended storage life in order to be marketed outside Europe.