Ngāti Awa Ki Rangitaiki joined employees of Fonterra’s Edgecumbe site for a blessing ceremony to mark the beginning of construction on the co-operative’s new $35 million pastry butter sheet expansion.

Edgecumbe site operations manager Lydia King said there was a real buzz in the air on site about the new plant.

“We are all excited about the activities and investment happening here at Edgecumbe.

“Our iwi representatives have whānau members who work at the site, so it’s meaningful to see the strong connections we have with the local community.”

The expansion supports regional employment, with the new butter sheet line expected to create four new roles at the Edgecumbe site, alongside opportunities for local contractors during the build phase.

“This is a positive step forward for our site, and it’s rewarding to see the benefits of the investment flowing through to our people and the local community,” she said.

Once complete, Edgecumbe’s pastry butter sheet capacity will double from 10,000 tonnes to 20,000 tonnes, helping the co-op meet growing demand driven by growth in laminated bakery products such as croissants and puff pastry across China, Mexico and Southeast Asia.

“These projects show our progress in building a more resilient and flexible manufacturing network that allows us to allocate more milk to Foodservice and Ingredients products and strengthen the co op’s product mix.”

This expansion is part of the Co-op’s strategy to use its New Zealand’s milk in high-value products that support growth and deliver strong returns for farmer shareholders.

Construction is expected to take around 12 months, with the first product expected to come off the line in April 2027.

This is the Co-operatives fourth major investment in manufacturing capacity announced in the past 18 months, following Clandeboye butter, Edendale UHT cream and the Studholme advanced proteins hub.