The Waikato has received a boost with news that a $100 million milk processing plant will be built in the region next year if it gets resource consent. The plant, to be built at Arapunui in south Waikato, is being developed by specialist dairy project management company Zoagn Limited reports TVNZ news. Zoagn says the Arapuni Milk Company will service the high end of the export milk market such as products for infants and nutraceuticals. "We've got growing and increasing dairy consumption and overseas companies that are looking to take product that are not currently supplied out of NZ," says project spokesman Richard Stapel. The plant will initially process 220 million litres of milk. Stapel says the company will look for the approximately 90 suppliers over the next two to three months and will begin with those who are within a 50-kilometre radius where there a number of new conversion farms. Stapel says the company hopes to get resource consent by March 2010. If it gets the green light the plant is expected to be ready for full production by August 2011.
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