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Dairy

We're milking it!

Dairying is one of the Coast's top three industries and its only getting stronger. The industry has grown dramatically in the past decade  as farms have been ‘converted’ and new lands broken in.  Milk production has increased annually over the last ten years. 

The trend to dairying has seen dairy numbers grow to a regional herd of 140,000 in 2009.  The independent and innovative cooperative - Westland Milk Products based in Hokitika, has 390 suppliers and 330 shareholders from Karamea in the north to the Glaciers in the south. Westland has modern, flexible manufacturing facilities which produce quality dairy ingredients to over 40 countries throughout the world. It supplies more than 43 million kilograms of milk solids a year. 

  • The West Coast's temperate, productive climate, good sunshine and high rainfall is ideal for dairying
  • Many sheep and cattle farms have intensified their activities
  • Existing land has been converted and undeveloped land cleared for dairying
  • In the 2009 season the average herd of was producing 113,000 kg's of milk solids a year

 The latest BERL economics report on West Coast Indicators is available in full from Development West Coast.