South Coast dairy plant to process 18,000 litres per day

The Berry Rural Cooperative has commenced work on its new dairy processing plant. Once operational, the plant will be able to process 18,000 litres of milk per day.

“The recently concluded China-Australia Free Trade Agreement, which eliminates all tariffs on Australian dairy exports to China, means our industry will be better able to capture future growth in this burgeoning market. Demand for dairy products in China is projected to rise 74% by 2050 according to ABARES,” said Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce, who attended a ceremony for the turning of the first sod on the plant site with Member for Gilmore Ann Sudmalis.

“The historic China-Australia FTA - China’s first with a major advanced economy - is one more reason that Australian dairy has a firm foundation on which to plan and invest for a profitable future.

“As a supporter of the cooperative model, it is so great to see Berry Rural Cooperative have the confidence to make this investment - an investment that will support local producers and so many others that rely on the local dairy sector.”

“Gilmore has always been a great dairy-producing region but, over the past few years, many of our local dairy farmers have been doing it tough,” Sudmalis said.

“Today’s sod turning marks a new agricultural chapter for the South Coast as, once completed, we will be producing up to 18,000 litres of local, fresh, high-quality milk for sale both at home and abroad every day.”