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Lactalis invests R140m in new powder plant in the Western Cape

5 Apr 2023

Dairy producer, Lactalis South Africa (SA) has invested R140m in a new evaporator dryer powder plant facility at its cheese manufacturing plant in Bonnievale in the Western Cape. "This investment further demonstrates the continued commitment by Group Lactalis to strengthen its business in South Africa. We remain focused on finding innovative business solutions that enable the production of high-quality food products while creating employment and making a difference in the communities in which we operate," says Alban Damour, general manager of Lactalis Southern Africa.

Source: Freepik

Lactalis South Africa’s Bonnievale factory is one of the biggest cheese factories on the African continent and currently employs 800 employees.

The purpose of the evaporator dryer plant is to efficiently remove water from milk to produce a dry powder that has a longer shelf life, is easily transportable and can be used in a variety of applications. The drying process is carefully controlled to ensure that the dried milk powder is of high quality and standard.

MEC for economic development for the Western Cape, Mireille Wenger says that South Africa and especially the Western Cape, is brimming with possibility. But the key to unlocking this potential lies in the actions taken to enable and support investments and businesses like Lactalis South Africa. "The Western Cape Government is deeply committed to working with Lactalis SA to make it as easy as possible to do business here, so we can continue to thrive and expand, boosting economic growth and supporting more jobs for the residents of the Western Cape and South Africa," says Wenger.

MEC for agriculture, Dr Ivan Meyer says that it creates business and consumer confidence. "Agriculture is the most dominant sector in the five districts of the Western Cape. It drives the economy and creates jobs. The agriculture sector was the largest contributing subsector in the primary sector, contributing 8.7% of Cape Winelands District GDPR in 2020. Between 2016 and 2020, agriculture had an average growth rate of 0.9%."

The new evaporator dryer plant will boost skimmed milk production capacity.