Māori dairy processors team up with farming SOE

Photo: Radio Waatea Image Database.

Taupō dairy processor Miraka says new strategic partnerships with fellow Māori-owned processor Waiū Dairy and state-owned farmer Pāmu will give it access to new customers and flexibility to produce a broader range of products.

Chief executive Grant Watson says all three businesses have a strong innovation and environmental focus, with both Miraka and Waiū’s plants running on geothermal energy.

He says the partnerships will increase production efficiencies by utilising spare capacity within each of the three processing plants to produce specialty dairy products.

Sam Mikaere from Waiū, which brings together 11 eastern Bay of Plenty Māori enterprises and Japanese company Imanaka’s Cedenco Dairy subsidiary, says it’s a pivotal moment for the Māori dairy industry and will allow them to grow the businesses together, underpinned by the concepts of manaakitanga and tuakana-teina learning and mentoring.

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