Tatua Dairy Company
Encyclopedia
Tatua Co-operative Dairy Company, trading as Tatua, is a small independent co-operative dairy
company in the Matamata-Piako District of the Waikato
Region, in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located in the small rural locality of Tatuanui, approximately 8 kilometres east of Morrinsville
. The co-operative is owned by 112 farmer shareholders, all within a 12 kilometre radius of the processing factory.
The co-operative has maintained a strong independent history within the New Zealand dairy industry. In the 2001 mega-merger for the New Zealand dairy industry - which formed Fonterra
- Tatua shareholders decided to remain independent (along with Westland Milk Products
). Given that New Zealand had over 500 dairy co-operatives in the 1930s, Tatua is unique in that it is the only New Zealand dairy co-operative remaining that has never been part of any merger throughout its history.
Despite being the smallest dairy company in New Zealand, Tatua often records the highest payout for milksolids to the farmer shareholders. This level of performance has been seen as a strong factor in Tatua remaining independent. While the high level of payout is partly due to a small catchment area (which reduces processing costs), the excellent financial performance of Tatua is increasingly attributed to focusing on value-added milk products rather than traditional, mass-produced, commodity-based milk products such as milk powder, butter and cheese.
Dairy
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk—mostly from cows or goats, but also from buffalo, sheep, horses or camels —for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a dedicated dairy farm or section of a multi-purpose farm that is concerned...
company in the Matamata-Piako District of the Waikato
Waikato
The Waikato Region is a local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato, Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsula, the northern King Country, much of the Taupo District, and parts of Rotorua District...
Region, in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located in the small rural locality of Tatuanui, approximately 8 kilometres east of Morrinsville
Morrinsville
Morrinsville is a town in the Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island. The land for the town and surrounding farmland was purchased from Wirimu Tamehana,the king maker prior to the NZ land wars of the 1860s. The land then was very swampy...
. The co-operative is owned by 112 farmer shareholders, all within a 12 kilometre radius of the processing factory.
The co-operative has maintained a strong independent history within the New Zealand dairy industry. In the 2001 mega-merger for the New Zealand dairy industry - which formed Fonterra
Fonterra
Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited is a New Zealand multinational dairy co-operative owned by almost 10,500 New Zealand farmers. The company is responsible for approximately 30% of the world's dairy exports and with revenue exceeding NZ$19.87 billion, is New Zealand's largest company.- History :In...
- Tatua shareholders decided to remain independent (along with Westland Milk Products
Westland Milk Products
Westland Milk Products is the trading name of Westland Co-operative Dairy Company Limited, an independent co-operative dairy company. It is owned by over 340 farmer shareholders, who supply milk to the factory for processing...
). Given that New Zealand had over 500 dairy co-operatives in the 1930s, Tatua is unique in that it is the only New Zealand dairy co-operative remaining that has never been part of any merger throughout its history.
Despite being the smallest dairy company in New Zealand, Tatua often records the highest payout for milksolids to the farmer shareholders. This level of performance has been seen as a strong factor in Tatua remaining independent. While the high level of payout is partly due to a small catchment area (which reduces processing costs), the excellent financial performance of Tatua is increasingly attributed to focusing on value-added milk products rather than traditional, mass-produced, commodity-based milk products such as milk powder, butter and cheese.