Synlait to acquire farmland in Dunsandel, New Zealand for $16.6m

Synlait is acquiring several hectares of farmland adjacent to its Dunsandel, New Zealand production site for NZD 25 million ($16.6 million), as it aims to expand its sustainability actions.

According to Synlait, the addition of the extra 582-hectare plot of farmland will enable the company to carry out several new initiatives which will support the sustainable expansion of the production site.

This expansion will reportedly give the company more control over water rights, as the land will provide Synlait with certainty over access to water and disposal of its factory processing water.

Meanwhile, the company will build a rail transport link between one of its dry stores at Dunsandel and its Lyttelton site, which will transport containerised goods by rail between the two sites. The company claims that this will significantly reduce Synlait’s environmental footprint by eliminating approximately 16,000 truck movements annually.

The expansion will also provide the dairy company with further opportunities to evaluate and trial sustainable farming practices and carry out on-farm research which supports Synlait’s ten-year sustainability targets.

Synlait CEO Leon Clement said: “Our purpose at Synlait is doing milk differently for a healthier world and this land provides a unique opportunity to pursue on-farm sustainability initiatives and reduce our environmental footprint whilst creating further supply chain efficiencies in our business.

“We’re excited about this opportunity and look forward to updating you on our plans as they progress.”