West Coast New Zealand

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 an average 10.9 percent per annum over the last ten years. 

The trend to dairying has seen dairy numbers grow to a regional herd of 127,000 in 2006.  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 40 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 decade ending 2006, milk production had increased an average 8% per year
• In the 2006/7 season the average herd of 340 cows was producing 113,00 kg's of milk solids a year