Westland butter factory opens in NZ

Yili Group has opened a new butter plant at Westland Milk Products in Hokitika, West Coast, New Zealand. The inauguration, which took place on 19 July, marks the third anniversary of Westland joining Yili in 2019.

With the plant now open, Westland has doubled its production capacity; it can now make up to 42,000 tonnes of butter per year. This means that it is one of the largest butter-producing facilities in the country.

“Since joining Yili Group, Westland has gained increasing consumer recognition. Westland is dedicated to continuing creating more value for consumers, society and employees in the future,” said Pan Gang, Chairman and President of Yili Group, in a recorded message played at the event. New Zealand Trade and Agriculture Minister, the Hon. Damien O’Connor, was also in attendance to commemorate the investment in new facilities.

Westland CEO Richard Wyeth said: “The original butter plant built in 1973 has now made way for a purpose-built facility that allows us to double our capacity of small-format butter pats with modern, state-of-the-art machinery that still holds true to our traditional churn methods.”

Wyeth also expressed appreciation for the company’s employees, suppliers and partners, with the initial six months of 2022 representing the strongest first-half-year result in seven years.

The butter plant is a component of the Yili Project Goldrush investment plan that is working to upgrade Westland’s production systems and capacities, and to increase awareness of the brand worldwide.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/IVASHstudio