December 18, 2013

 
Fonterra, Nestle open dairy distribution centre in Brazil

 

 

    

 

Through joint venture Dairy Partners Americas (DPA), Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited and Nestle have opened a dairy distribution centre in Araras, Brazil.

 

The NZD45 million (US$37 million) facility has been built on the same site as the Dairy Partners Americas' Araras factory which makes a variety of chilled dairy products including yoghurts, desserts and cream cheese. More than 200,000 tonnes of dairy products, destined for delivery across Brazil, are expected to pass through the distribution centre per year.

 

Combining the production and cooling site with the distribution facility will offer considerable energy savings, reducing the amount of diesel required for transport by approximately 150,000 litres and saving 400 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year.

 

Fonterra CEO Theo Spierings, said, "Brazil is an important market for Fonterra. Rapid urban growth and a focus on healthy nutrition are driving demand for dairy products and we continue to invest significantly in the region through our partnership with Nestle and by developing selected milk pools."

 

Spierings said that the new centre enables them to lower distribution costs and move product quickly across the country. And it is leading the way in sustainability using efficient systems, reducing gas emissions and waste, and increasing recycling and the safety of their people.

 

Fonterra's Latin American footprint drives over 900,000 tonnes of volume per year and NZD3.4 billion (US$2.8 billion) in revenue from consumer dairy, foodservice and high value ingredients. As well as extending Fonterra's business portfolio, the DPA partnership also enables the cooperative to work with dairy farms in the region to improve milk quality, safety and sustainability.

 

Dairy Partners Americas is the largest dairy company in South America, purchasing and processing some two billion litres of milk each year in Brazil alone. It produces ingredients and consumer products with strong brands in the liquid and chilled dairy market throughout Latin America.

 

The alliance incorporates two businesses: A consumer chilled and liquid products business and a milk procurement and milk powder and ingredients manufacturing business.

 

Fonterra licences brands and provides its large-scale milk procurement, product development, and manufacturing and processing expertise, as well as technical services and certain technology to the alliance.

 

Nestlé licences brands and provides its product development, manufacturing and processing expertise, as well as distribution infrastructure to the alliance. DPA operates eight factories in the country and provides employment for 2,600 people.