5 Dec 2012

Fonterra plans to expand Pahiatua milk processing capacity

3:06 pm on 5 December 2012

Fonterra is continuing to expand its milk processing capacity, with plans for a new drier at a plant in the lower North Island to help it ease milk processing pressure.

The dairy co-operative will seek resource consent to build a third drier at its Pahiatua milk powder plant which it says would help it process an additional 2.5 million litres of milk a day.

Fonterra says its two existing driers at the plant are already running at capacity and each day it has to send more than 1.5 million litres of milk by rail to its site at Whareroa in southern Taranaki.

It says a third drier would increase its processing efficiency and create a further 45 jobs at the plant.