October 2, 2012

Dairy firm, Westland Milk Products, plans to build a three-dryer milk processing facility in the Canterbury region, New Zealand, which will feature three milk dryers of about 34 meters long with a stack at a maximum height of 43.5 meters.

The cooperative has not planned the investment budget yet.

The facility, which is likely to be built in Rolleston's Izone Industrial Park, will process raw milk and produce nutritional milk products such as infant formula and growing-up milk powders, for local and international markets. It is expected to create jobs in the areas of engineering, maintenance, production and environmental management, and the new jobs are expected contribute more than US$10 million a year into the local economy.

The plant will enable the company to market more added value dairy-based nutritional products to give a better return for its shareholder farmers. Currently, the company is applying for resource consents for the site.