Chinese dairy giant's new plant marks China-New Zealand cooperation: ambassador

WELLINGTON -- Dairy giant Yili Group's new lactoferrin plant in New Zealand is a landmark project of China-New Zealand dairy cooperation, Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong has said.

With an investment of 70 million NZ dollars ($42.66 million) and a capacity of 67 tonnes, the Westland Lactoferrin Plant is located in Hokitika, a town in the West Coast region of New Zealand's South Island.

Yili Group, through Oceania Dairy and Westland Milk Products, has invested up to about 1.5 billion NZ dollars in New Zealand since 2013, Wang said at a ground-breaking ceremony for the project.

The latest investment shows Yili's confidence in New Zealand's dairy sector, and will bring more job opportunities to the region, Wang added, expecting more cooperation in the area between the two countries.

New Zealand Minister for Trade and Export Growth Damien O'Connor told the ceremony that New Zealand's dairy industry has to transfer from "volume" to "value". Yili's investment reflects its commitment to Westland District.

O'Connor encouraged enterprises to seize the opportunity of the upgraded New Zealand-China Free Trade Agreement to provide high-value-added products for the global market.

Despite the impacts of COVID-19, global inflation and other adverse factors, China remains the largest export destination for New Zealand's primary products.