Saputo Dairy Australia plans to close Vic facility

Saputo Dairy Australia (SDA) has announced it is undertaking further consolidation initiatives intended to enhance its operational efficiency and strengthen its competitiveness.

Early next year, the dairy company plans to permanently close its Maffra, Victoria, facility. It will also scale back the activities at two other facilities by shutting down its bulk powders production area located in Leongatha, Victoria, and closing its cheese packaging area at Mil-Lel, South Australia.

Many of the impacted production and packaging functions at these three facilities will be absorbed or integrated into SDA’s other facilities. Approximately 75 employees will be impacted.

Leanne Cutts, President and Chief Operating Officer (International and Europe), Saputo Inc, said the decision was difficult to make but is designed to make the company more efficient. "These strategic steps taken to further streamline our network aim to leverage SDA’s broader manufacturing network capabilities while creating synergies to maximise the return on every litre of milk.”

The company said the changes will have minimal impact on consumers and it expects no changes to its farmer relationships, with suppliers’ milk continuing to be collected and processed across SDA’s network.

The changes will take effect in the first three months of 2023.

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