A new food research facility supporting the future of New Zealand’s exports has reached an important milestone, with a contractor appointed and the construction process to start next week at Massey University’s Manawatū campus.  The $45 million AgResearch and Massey University Food Science Facility will accommodate about 140 staff and students from the two organisations as well as from the Government-funded centre of research excellence, the Massey-hosted Riddet Institute.

Feb 04, 2018  -  A new partnership has been announced between New Zealand and the State of Himachal Pradesh under the Himachal Pradesh Horticultural Development Project which targets smallholder farmers in northern India.

Feb 03, 2018  -  The $2 million Seminis Onion Breeding Station has been officially opened in Pukekohe, New Zealand, this week.The world-class facility housing state-of-the-art sheds, crop covers and irrigation systems, represents the Seminis global mid-day onion breeding program, supporting key markets including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Brazil.

Jan 24, 2018  -  The Indian market for avocados currently consists of some Indian produce and a major share of New Zealand Hass avocados. Thanks to promotions and in-store sampling, Indian consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the health benefits of Hass avocados. Therefore, demand for New Zealand avocados is increasing.

The Indian importer IG International specialises in the marketing of New Zealand Hass avocados. The company is also going to introduce new varieties with different packaging formats from Peru. Peruvian avocados are necessary to continue the momentum of the New Zealand season, which will soon be coming to an end.

Like the avocados from New Zealand, the Peruvian avocados belong to the Hass variety. The Peruvian Hass avocados differ from those from New Zealand with regards to different ripening stages and a cheaper price. The Peruvian season allows IG International to ensure a year round supply of avocados. As soon as the Peruvian season ends, the New Zealand season will commence.

"The main customers of IG International are supermarkets, restaurants and hotels. The category for avocados is increasing year by year. IG currently holds a market share of 42% in the market for avocados," says Shubha Wadhawan, CCO,IG International Pvt. Ltd.

"Most avocados are consumed in the western regions of India, followed by the North and South, though avocado consumption is on the rise in the South as well. Due to the price of avocados, most consumers belong to the upper middle class," she added.

"Not withstanding the strong demand for the Avanza New Zealand Avocado throughout Asia, we remain committed to our distribution partnership within India and the growth of the category. These are exciting times for the avocado within India. It is our desire is to build a strong brand positioned on quality and the versatility of this product to an increasingly health conscious consumer,” says Tony Ponder of Avanza, the New Zealand company that supplies the avocados to IG International.

Godrej Nature’s Basket has been India’s pioneering food destination from more than over 100 years. "We believe in creating lasting experiences and go an extra mile to serve our customers better. To make their journey an enjoyable one, we make sure to give them the best quality avocados, sourced from IG International. Avocado is the best selling category at our stores. We look forward to the Peruvian season to ensure the round year supply," says Avinash Tripathi, Buying and Merchandising Head, Godrej Nature’s Basket.

Visit IG International at Fruit Logistica: Hall 7.2a A-05

| A FreshPlaza release   ||  January 23, 2018   |||

Jan 23, 2018  -  A $45 million new food spray dryer is being planned for Food Waikato at Waikato Innovation Park, to cope with an increase in demand from the sheep milk industry.  The existing open access development spray dryer, which came online just five years ago, is already at capacity, says Waikato Innovation Park CEO Stuart Gordon.

Jan 18, 2018  -  On January 16, Cedenco Foods New Zealand Ltd. started its annual sweetcorn harvest, and the company expects a bigger yield than last year. More than 40,000 tonnes of corn is to be picked over the next three months.

Jan 18, 2018  -  More Tongan fresh produce will be exported to international markets with the opening of new pack houses in Tonga.  This should make a big difference to farmers who will be able to sell their crops and other products for export to New Zealand, said Edgar Cocker, CEO of Tonga’s Ministry Commerce, Trade, Innovation and Labour.

Jan 3, 2018  -  New Zealand company Matakana SuperFoods is gearing up to attend January’s ECRM EPPS event in Washington, D.C., bringing its Acai Bowls, Supergreens, Supershakes, Superchocs and Superfood Chocolate Bars into the U.S. marketplace.  The more than 70 lines of Matakana SuperFoods products include chia seeds, maqui, goji and acai berries, coconut sugar and fermented coconut sauces, and its popular Supergreens and Supershake blends.

Dec 20,  2017  -  Synlait Milk (NZX: SML; ASX: SM1) is partnering with Foodstuffs South Island Limited to become the Cooperative’s exclusive supplier of its private label fresh milk and cream from early 2019.

Synlait intends to invest approximately $125 million in an advanced liquid dairy packaging facility to supply Foodstuffs South Island.

The investment establishes a platform for Synlait to pursue a range of dairy-based products for domestic and export markets in the future.

“Combined, the partnership with Foodstuffs South Island and investment in a new facility is a further and significant step towards our goal of being a more diversified and balanced business,” says John Penno, Managing Director and CEO.

“We believe this opens up a new category - everyday dairy - and has the potential to both leverage our current position and explore new customers and markets.”

“This category represents the dairy products people consume every day. Our long-term success in this category will be based on our ability to win customers in the New Zealand market first and today we’re taking a foundational step towards that.”

Synlait’s partnership with Foodstuffs South Island is strategic for both parties.

“We are very proud of our Canterbury dairy farmers and the way they farm. We are excited about making our farmers’ fresh milk available to everyone in the South Island, in partnership with Foodstuffs,” says Mr Penno.

Fresh milk and cream from Synlait will be packaged in Value and Pams branded products, which are available across New World, PAK'nSAVE, Four Square and On The Spot stores.

“The partnership allows the Cooperative to provide high quality fresh milk and cream to our customers. The partnership allows us to give our customers surety around milk supply with an innovative New Zealand-based milk supplier,” says Steve Anderson, CEO Foodstuffs South Island.

“In time, we are looking forward to collaborating with Synlait to create a range of new and innovative dairy-based products that our customers will enjoy.”

Synlait’s research and development centre in Palmerston North, which is a collaboration with Massey University and FoodPilot, will provide the technical new product development expertise needed to establish, validate and deliver these capabilities at Synlait.

The expected $125 million investment in an advanced liquid dairy packaging facility is aimed at delivering a state-of-the-art liquid blending and packaging platform. It will allow Synlait to produce fresh milk and cream for domestic use and the ability to pursue a range of dairy-based extended and long-life consumer products in future.

“This will be one of the most sophisticated fresh milk and cream processing facilities in New Zealand.”

“By leveraging what we have learnt about milk quality and blending dairy products in our infant formula business, we will deliver a great facility at Synlait Dunsandel,” says Mr Penno.

“Our everyday dairy category offers many B2B and B2C opportunities in the established and growing export milk and cream market.”

With a minimum annual capacity of 110 million litres, the facility will be capable of producing:

• High-specification pasteurised milk and cream for domestic use

• Extended shelf life (ESL) dairy products

• Long-life milk and cream for export

• Ready to drink (RTD) liquid infant formula and toddlers milks

• Other blended dairy-based beverage products

Mr Penno says Synlait has proven experience from establishing and rapidly growing a successful infant formula business.

“We’ve demonstrated that we can introduce new capability, manufacture world-class product, build a profitable business around it and provide a long-term strategy for sustainable returns. This will be no different.”

| A Synlait release  ||  December 20, 2017  |||

Dec 19, 2017  -  Japanese-listed Itoham Yonekyu Holdings has received Overseas Investment Office approval to increase its shareholding of Anzco Foods to 100 percent, from the 65 percent it already owned. 

Anzco was New Zealand's second-largest meat company and fifth-largest exporter in 2016, with turnover of $1.5 billion and 3,000 employees. It was already 83.3 percent overseas owned, with 16.8 percent of the company held by Japanese marine products company Nippon Suisan Kaisha, known as Nissui, and the remaining 18.2 percent owned by the company's chair Graeme Harrison and management. Harrison will step down at the company's next annual meeting in March, having signalled his plans for retirement in 2015.

Itoham Yonekyu has said it won't make any significant changes to Anzco's business operations in the foreseeable future, Anzco said. Itoham, a listed company, is 39 percent owned by Mitsubishi Corp.

Anzco is part of two primary growth partnerships, the $58 million FoodPlus red meat project and the Red Meat Profit Partnership. The new government has said the future funding of the PGP programme, which is funded by government and industry, is under review.

The company said the buyout was "a strong vote of confidence in the New Zealand meat sector" and is an important part of Itoham Yonekyu's plan to grow its business internationally, especially in Asian markets outside Japan. Anzco will be able to "capitalise on synergy benefits and efficiencies from the considerable experience and networks of Itoham Yonekyu and Mitsubishi Corp", it said.

| Source ShareChat  ||  december 19,  2017   |||