First milk tanker rolls in
‘‘We’ve finally done it.’’
Founding shareholder Ian (Inky) Tulloch was a proud man as he watched the first fully-laden Mataura Valley Milk tanker drive into the company’s $240 million-dollar plant at McNab north of Gore yesterday morning.
The first delivery of milk, just under two years after the first sod was turned on the site, was a milestone for the company.
The plant will produce whole milk powder and some skim milk powder as it comes onstream, with the first nutritional formula production scheduled for February.
‘‘It’s wonderful. This has been a long time coming,’’ Tulloch said.
‘‘It was 10 years ago that we laid the foundation for it but it was three years ago that China Husbandry Group came on board with the resource and the desire.
‘‘They could see the potential in infant formula which frankly wasn’t what we’d planned for. We’d planned a powder plant and they’ve come along and built this state-of-the-art, world’s best nutritional plant, and full marks to them.’’
China Animal Husbandry Group have a 71.8 per cent stake in the site, with 20 per cent held by Southland farm suppliers and the remainder by Hamilton-based milk powder company BODCO and Mataura Valley Milk directors.
Mataura Valley Milk general manager Bernard May said it was a proud moment, but there was also a little bit of apprehension.
‘‘Now we have to turn this 9250 litres of milk into finished product over the next couple of days, but what I am confident of is that we have built the world’s best nutritional plant and I’m extremely proud of that.
‘‘We said two and-a-half years ago that we would have this plant starting at the start of this dairy season and we have absolutely delivered on that. We are extremely proud.’’
In that time the Mataura Valley Milk team had grown from a few to 70 and alongside contractors it had expended more than 800,000 man hours to build the plant, he said.
‘‘Now we have to turn this business from being a project to fully operational and today absolutely marks that change.’’
May said its shareholder suppliers were crucial players, alongside other shareholders, in the company’s strategy.
At this time of the season there would only be about five tanker loads a day arriving at the plant but at the peak of the season there would be about 20.
‘‘Over the whole season there will be about 4500 milk tankers will be unloaded onsite.’’
Seventy staff are currently employed on site but more would be employed when the company started making infant formula in February.
Mataura Valley Milk’s products will be sold worldwide.
May said the company was talking to a customer that wanted some high quality whole milk powder in Bangladesh.
‘‘Some of our product will end up going into the China market as well, but largely selling whole milk in Australasia, through South East Asia will be where the largest market is.
‘‘Then when we start making infant formula a lot of that infant formula-based powder will be going into our sister company Bodco which in New Zealand will be making infant formula for the Chinese market.’’
Gore district mayor Tracy Hicks said was excited Mataura Valley Milk had got to this point.
‘‘It’s been a long process but it just seems like yesterday that this project was a glimmer of an idea.
‘‘As time has gone on it has added capacity to the community. It has bought confidence, businesses have been buoyed by the extra business in the accommodation and hospitality sectors as construction has taken place. It has bought employment, and that’s what we need.
‘‘It’s another string to the bow of the Gore district as a place to live.’’
Mataura Valley Milk joins Fonterra, Open Country Dairy and Blue River Dairy, which recently announced it plans to expand it’s infant formula production, as the major players in Southland’s dairy industry.