Welcoming farmers after five years

A group of 70 farmers and their families were shown around Fonterra’s Tākaka site for the first time in five years. The tour took place on Friday May 12 and was a great opportunity for farmers to learn how their milk is used and processed after it leaves the farm.

A 50-strong team processes milk into skim milk powder at Tākaka. The raw milk is first made into standardised skim milk, and then turned into powder for the GDT. The skim milk powder is then used as an ingredient in a vast number of different products like ice cream, chocolate, beverages, and cultured applications.

The group of farmers and family started at the high-hygiene red line and were chaperoned into the production plant in their white overalls, white boots, hair nets, and, for some, beard masks.

Chris Sangster, Tākaka’s Production Supervisor, walked the group through the end-to-end process flow – milk entering the site, separation, evaporation, and drying.  Kyle Sangster, a Shift Supervisor, then took the group into the packing plant, where the skim milk powder is packed into 25kg bags, ready for export.

Chris Sangster says it was great for the site and farmers to get together. “The site team really enjoyed sharing how we convert the farmers’ high-quality milk into skim milk powder. And all the inquisitive questions from our engaged visitors was a delight for our team,” he says. The farmers appreciated the opportunity to see their high-quality milk turn into skim milk powder.