Yili plans huge dairy base with NZ investments

Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co Ltd, the Chinese dairy giant, announced on Friday its plans to invest in four dairy projects in New Zealand for a combined 3 billion yuan ($489 million) to build the world's largest dairy base.

The project's scope will range from raw milk processing, UHT (ultrahigh temperature processing) and liquid milk, as well as milk powder manufacturing and packaging projects. The deal is aimed at improving the dairy group's profitability and competence and brand influence in the global market.

On Nov 12, Yili and Dairy Farmers of America, a huge US cooperative, signed a deal to build a powdered milk plant in Kansas in the United States - the largest milk powder producer in the US.