Chinese buy dairy and sheep milk operations
Maui Milk emphasises fresh natural grasses in its export focus.
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Hawke’s Bay
Chinese-based investors remain active in the rural market with recent purchases of medium sized farms.
Sixty percent Chinese-owned sheep milk producer Maui Milk is acquiring 490ha at 120 Whareroa Rd, Kuratau near Taupo
Maui is paying $1,160,810 and will develop a sheep dairy farm there.
It will produce sheep milk powder for export to the Chinese market, for sale through Maui’s existing distribution network.
Maui Milk is based on a farm on the south-western side of Lake Taupo.
Its website highlights “fresh natural grasses” along with supplements such as barley during milking time.
Maui Milk manages a flock of East Friesian dairy sheep, known for their high milk production and fertility rates.
Maui began sheep milking in 2007 and has about 3000 milking ewes.
It has also set up an embryo programme in partnership with a shareholder, Super Organic.
Meanwhile, a wholly owned company called Weihai Station and owned by a group of Mainland Chinese investors has acquired 593ha at 152 Baker Rd, which is about halfway between Raglan and Port Waikato.
Weihai Station is buying the sheep and beef farm and has told the Overseas Investment Office it plans to continue current farming operations and also build a lodge to be used as a training and development facility and as a tourism resort for businesspeople.
At Martinborough US-owned Canoe Wines partnership is buying a 10.3ha property on Lake Ferry Rd from Personal Property owner Peter Croft.
Canoe already owns the Nga Waka vineyard and winery in Martinborough and is buying the land expanding to provide additional secure grape supply to enable Nga Waka to expand its wine business and exports.
A Canadian pension fund company, Ramsay Dairy Farm, is buying 322ha at 249 Domain Rd, Oxford, plus 34ha at 282 Domain Rd, Oxford, Canterbury.
The Canadian investor will increase the dairy herd on the farms and appoint FarmRight to manage the properties.
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Chris Hutching
Wed, 20 Jan 2016
Wed, 20 Jan 2016
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Chinese buy dairy and sheep milk operations
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