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Story: Agricultural processing industries

Largest dairy factory in the world

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Largest dairy factory in the world

In the 21st century farmer cooperatives continued to own the vast majority of dairy factories. In 2001 almost all of New Zealand’s cooperative dairy companies joined to form one huge cooperative – Fonterra. It had factories in many parts of New Zealand in the early 2000s – including this one at Whareroa, near Hāwera, which was the largest dairy-production site in the world.

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Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

by Melanie Lovell-Smith

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How to cite this page

Jane Tolerton, Agricultural processing industries – Dairy factories in the 20th and 21st centuries, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/25160/largest-dairy-factory-in-the-world (accessed 11 June 2026).

Story by Jane Tolerton, published 6 April 2010.

Comments

Dave Allen
04 September 2012
Cool pic :)