Tetra Pak backs further Chinese dairy development

Tetra Pak hopes to encourage further growth and development in the Chinese dairy industry by overseeing the launch of a new research centre in conjunction with the People's University of China (Renda).

The packaging supplier said this week that the Renda-Tetra Pak Dairy Research Centre will allow the country's government, academics and producers to bring innovation and enhanced farming techniques to the industry.

A spokesperson for the company told DairyReporter.com that the programme was an extension of Tetra-Pak's ongoing investment in the country's dairy industry designed to encourage growth in its customer base.

"Chinese dairy is an increasingly important market for Tetra Pak," the spokesperson said. "The level of investment made therefore is directly linked to this potential."

The dairy centre has a number of aims including performing economic studies on improving dairy and milk production in the country and also providing training for farmers literally at the grass roots level of the industry.

To further focus on education with the country's dairy industry, Tetra Pak will also launch a virtual Dairy Farmers School with the Dairy Association of China. The school will aim to provide lectures and demonstrations both online and through television to boost herd management, feeding and disease control at farm level.

Economist Said Wen Tiejun of the People's University of China said the site would allow the dairy industry in the country to better meet the challenges that were occurring as a result of recent rapid growth.