Saturday, March 30, 2024

Happy Valley to set up new A2 milk plant

Avatar photo
South Waikato dairy farmers wanting to join the A2 milk bonanza might have their chance as a new dairy company seeks consent to build a plant near Otorohanga.
Reading Time: 2 minutes

The Happy Valley Milk company was seeking resource consent for the project that would ultimately include two milk driers.

The first would be an eight tonnes an hour drier capable of producing multiple types of milk powders including A2 infant formula.

Project manager Grant Horan said the company was optimistic it could get the consent process through by the end of the year, with an estimated completion date of mid-2018.

“We are seeking consent for the two driers on the site and will be capable of doing A2 milk powder, whole milk powder and skim milk powder. There will also be a processing and canning plant included,” he said.

The next step would be to seek supply from local farmers and Horan said there had been positive contact with a number of farmers in the area.

The Companies Office listed Happy Valley’s sole shareholder as Auckland businessman Rudolph van der Burgh. However, Horan said the company included investors from Singapore and Australia.

He expected the company’s Asian connections would play a role in helping distribute products in what was an intensely competitive market.

The plant also had the backing of local farmer Allen van der Poel.

Otorohanga was an ideal location for a plant, given its centrality for milk collection.

“We are also well located for services including gas and electricity with the main gas line across the road.”

Should Happy Valley get the green light it would add a fourth company operator into the south Waikato mix. Fonterra collected across the region while Open Country Dairy extended to Otorohanga. Iwi owned Miraka now stretched up to Tirau and across to the Mamakus.

In the future the company intended to process organic milk.

Over a year ago another company, NZ Organic and Natural, had intended to commission a plant in Otorohanga but had not done so.

That operation had sought 70% financing from Chinese investor company Herun Holdings with the backing of local organic farmers Russell Bayley and David Carey.

Horan estimated the plant would create 50 jobs.

Total
0
Shares
People are also reading