Dairy is the health food of the nation because its export sales potential, mostly to China and the rest of SE Asia, will help to keep our economy in good shape...
...So long-life milk manufacturer, Pactum Dairy Group, has developed a state-of-the art new UHT milk processing facility at Shepparton with $950,000 in Victorian Government funding granted by deputy premier and minister for regional and rural development, Peter Ryan. Pactum Dairy Group is a joint venture between Australian Consolidated Milk and Pactum Australia, part of the Freedom Foods Group.
Peter Ryan said that $700,000 was being provided through the Industries for Today and Tomorrow fund in support of the UHT processing facility, while a further $250,000 was being provided through the $1 billion Regional Growth Fund to assist with natural gas connection to the site.
"The creation of the new UHT processing facility in Shepparton will result in the production of 100 million litres of UHT milk in the next three years," Ryan said. "This overall $40 million project will generate 35 full time equivalent jobs when operations fully commence in April, and this should increase to 52 positions over the next three years."
Shepparton will have four Tetra Pak lines, packaging long life milk for proprietary and private label customers in South East Asia. Two packaging lines were installed and operational by year end 2013. The other lines will be operational by June 2014.
Rory Macleod, managing director of Freedom Foods Group said, “The investment in Pactum Dairy Group provides a potential medium term opportunity to increase exposure to the growing demand for high quality and safe dairy products in domestic and international markets in South East Asia and China."
The lines will fill a range of Tetra Pak cartons, including Tetra Prisma Aseptic cartons in 250ml and 330ml, the latter with DreamCap - a first for Australia.
Tetra Pak Oceania's managing director, Noel Ayre, said that there are a number of interconnected reasons behind the increased opportunities for Oceania customers into Asia, beginning with Asia's own economic growth. Rising incomes across Asia mean more money is being spent on better nutrition, particularly for children. Demand for dairy products is outstripping supply, which will continue for the foreseeable future.