Fonterra Australia invests in Wynyard plant to boost cheese production

Fonterra Australia plans to invest A$4.3m ($3.2m) in its Wynyard plant in Tasmania to enhance its cheese and whey production capacity.

The company said that the investment in the Wynyard plant will increase the annual cheese making capacity by 8,000t, which is equivalent to 30 olympic size pools of processed milk per annum.

Fonterra Australia regional operations manager south Steve Taylor said: “Tasmania is an important region for Fonterra and our multi-hub strategy, and we continue to invest here for the long-term.

“The more we invest for growth, the more competitive our business will be, putting us in a strong position to manage global volatility, pay the best possible price to farmers and the best possible returns to our shareholders.”

The investment will also help the company in meeting the growing demand for Fonterra’s cheese and whey from its domestic and export customers.

Taylor further added that the Wynyard factory is a key part of Fonterra’s global multi-hub strategy.

The Wynyard plant has been running at full capacity since a fire destroyed Fonterra’s Victorian cheese plant at Stanhope in December 2014.

The Wynyard expansion will push Fonterra’s total Australian cheese production by 50% once the Stanhope plant is also commissioned next year.