Global dairy giant Yili (Shanghai:600887) is investing $NZ40 million to double capacity of premium consumer butter production at its Westland Dairy Company Limited (Westland) plant on the West Coast of New Zealand.
The investment will transform the Hokitika-plant's capability from being largely a producer of bulk commodity butter to one which has a vastly increased capacity to produce goods for the high-value global consumer market.
Since acquiring Westland in 2019, Yili has fully integrated the company into its global network, giving Westland access to extensive resources, market channels, technology and funding. The investment from Yili's Goldrush project transforms Westland's production, packaging and warehousing systems and will increase annual consumer butter production capacity to 42,000 tons, doubling its current capacity.
Based in one of the world's major butter producing countries, Westland has built an enviable reputation for craftsmanship of a high-quality product. It traces its butter making history back to 1893 when companies eventually became part of today's Westland where started using the traditional Fritz Churn method to produce high-quality butter with a rich taste and distinctive golden color.
Over 95 percent of Westland's milk is sourced solely from natural grass-fed cows, which was grazed in the pastures of one of the world's most unique dairy catchments. This area boasts a high annual rainfall and is regarded as a pristine dairy farming environment. Grass-fed milk is known to be rich in Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, conjugated linoleic acid and other nutrients.
Westgold's salted and unsalted butter have been awarded the gold medals at the annual New Zealand Champions of Cheese Awards three times, most recently in 2021. Westgold and Westland-produced butter is currently sold in more than 20 countries including China, the United States, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
As one of the world's top 5 dairy companies and a leader in the field of healthy food in Asia, Yili is dedicated to harnessing top-quality resources from around the world to meet the needs of consumers. In recent years, Yili has placed an increased focus on expanding its presence in Southeast Asia. The company has launched Joyday ice cream, AMBPOMIAL Greek Yoghurt in Indonesia and Singapore, and acquired Chomthana, the largest ice cream company in Thailand, planning to strengthen and breathe new life into Cremo, a sub-brand of Chomthana. The upgrade of Westland is set to bring Southeast Asian consumers a new, quality choice in dairy products, part of Yili's efforts to expand Westland's access to global markets and Yili's determination to expand the Southeast Asian market.
As Yili continues its international expansion, the company remains dedicating to ensuring mutually beneficial cooperation with all its partners, relying on its "global thinking and localized management" strategy to bring more high-quality products to global consumers, pursuing its goal of "World Integrally Sharing Health" and promoting the economic development and prosperity of every market in which it operates.