Dairy company Murray Goulburn Co-operative Co. Limited (Devondale Murray Goulburn) has announced three capital projects worth AUD$127 million (US$119.3 million).
The projects will be located at the company’s existing sites in Victoria and Tasmania, Autralia, and will be delivered over the next 12 to 18 months.
MD Gary Helou said this announcement was another step forward in the transformation of the co-operative and the Australian dairy industry.
The three projects consist of AUD$74 million ($69.5 million) investment in Consumer Cheese at Cobram, AUD $38 million (US$35.7 million) in Infant Nutrition at Koroit and Cobram, and AUD$14 million (US$13.2 million) in Dairy Beverages at Edith Creek in Tasmania.
Investing for local, Asian markets
This follows the 2013 announcements of the AUD$120 million (US$112.7 million) investment in two new daily liquid milk facilities in Melbourne and Sydney, as well as $19 million (US$17.8 million) in projects to increase ultra high temperature capacity at Leongatha, $5 million (US$4.7 million) for consumer butter at Koroit, as well as $2 million (US$1.9 million) to increase cheese capacity at Cobram.
“We are investing in the future of Devondale Murray Goulburn to deliver higher farmgate returns, as we strive to navigate a new path to meet and serve the growing needs of international consumers and customers for Australian made dairy foods.”
“We are building a better connection with key markets to become the first choice in dairy foods and investing in the future of the Australian dairy industry with the aim of returning it to profitability and growth, ensuring our relevance in the global market,” said Helou.
“The three projects announced today involve investment in world-leading technology with automation for processing and packaging a range of dairy foods destined for Asian and Australian consumers.”
“The plants will have capabilities to customize dairy products for local preferences with efficiency and speed to meet the growing demand for high quality and safe dairy foods from Australia,” he said.
