Following a groundbreaking ceremony, construction has officially begun at Fonterra’s new UHT cream plant at Edendale.
Fonterra employees, community representatives, and local iwi celebrated the start of a project with Hokonui Rūnanga Cultural Advisor Matu Coleman-Clark blessing the site and project team before the turning of the first sod.
The new UHT plant, which will meet growing demand across Asia, has been scheduled to begin production in August 2026. It will initially deliver over 50 million litres of UHT cream annually, with plans to more than double that capacity by 2030. Seventy new roles and those generated through the construction phase will be created.
General Manager of Operations, Lower South Island, Andrew Johns, shared his enthusiasm with the group at the event. He said that starting construction marked the first chapter in a long-planned project.
“It’s fantastic to see all the planning and hard mahi come together, and we’re eager to watch the build take shape in the coming months,” said Johns.
“The new plant is a big investment in our future here at Edendale, and we’re looking forward to seeing the positive impact on our community as a whole as construction progresses.”
Around NZD 150 million dollars will be invested in the expansion, which is part of the cooperative’s growth strategy by expanding its food service business in and beyond China and increasing production capacity for high-value products.
Read more about the UHT investment here
