China farmer tour showcases Co-op’s international reputation

A group of farmers and Fonterra staff were given a “once in a lifetime” opportunity to explore the journey our milk goes on from pasture to international market.

Travelling as part of a unique 16-day study tour, designed by Fonterra and travel agency Farm and Leisure Tour, 39 Co-op farmers from around the country gained first-hand insights into how the Co-op creates value from their milk and its pivotal role in the global dairy industry.

As the first international tour since COVID, the China study tour filled up quickly once Fonterra offered it as an exclusive opportunity for its farmers.

Combining business and sightseeing, the tour provided the opportunity to visit the Co-op’s largest single customer and see some extraordinary farming systems.

The tour incorporated visits to Fonterra’s base in Beijing, Datong (home of one of the world’s largest dairy groups, Mutong Dairy Group), Hohhot (visiting Yili Industrial Group and Modern Dairy), historic Xi’an, and the Shanghai business hub.

The tour also took the group to Inner Mongolia, where they visited a sheep farm, a horse milking operation and saw how people live in extremely remote locations.

King Country farmers Paulette and Brian Johns were very impressed with the tour.

“It was a chance to see first-hand what China is today, what they do and how dairy fits in over there. We’re hugely reliant on China for trade, and it’s really important to us as farmers. The tour showed us that there’s a lot more to what we do than simply exporting milk,” Paulette says.

“The tour was so well organised and coordinated. There was no way you would see a fraction of what we saw if you were trying to organise a trip on your own. We had a real behind-the-scenes experience, talking to locals, visiting farms, and sightseeing. It was phenomenal.”

Methven farmer Craig Elliot and his wife Helen say the trip was “amazing”.

“The business is growing significantly each year. The Co-op’s story is held in high regard in China, and the images of New Zealand’s pastures and promotion of ’grass-fed’ are everywhere. When you see big brands like Yili in the shops, you don’t realise that our milk is a major ingredient,” Craig says.

For Taranaki farmers Belinda and Ben Price, nothing could have prepared them for the vast size, distance and differences between farms in China. “We went from winter in Taranaki to 38°C, which was a shock for sure! We didn’t fully understand how agriculture works over there. The cities are so populated. Coming from a country of 5 million, it’s hard to fathom a city that has 25-30 million people living there, and yet there is countryside right on the edge. There’s none of the urban sprawl we have here. It’s high rises then farmland,” Belinda says.

“What was helpful was being guided through the businesses and being able to be part of some really interesting conversations about where our milk goes and the customer side of things over there. Farming over there is so different. They might have a 72ha farm with 17,000 cows on it. The Yili show-farms were incredible. The cow sheds’ setup was quite different in terms of feed, and there were massive fans set up to keep the cows cool. Things we don’t really have to worry about with pasture-based farming.”

The trip was also eye-opening for Fonterra’s own staff. Co-operative Services Area Managers Libby Clement and Adam Winter are used to travelling to different farms around the country and seeing the various ways we farm, but nothing could prepare them for the types of farms they saw in China.

“The speed of innovation over there is phenomenal,” says Adam.

“The tour gives exclusive behind- the-scenes access to areas that you would never get to see otherwise, including the Yili factory, which is the ’Silicon Valley’ of dairy farming. In fact, we saw plans for building a whole city around the factory. This was contrasted with our trip to Inner Mongolia, which was like stepping back in time with farmers milking cows and horses by hand and taking the milk into town to sell.”

Libby says any pre-conceived notions she had of China were blown away.

“The sheer size, scale, and speed of operations – both in the cities and on-farm – was phenomenal. It was amazing to see how visible our ingredients are on the shelves in their stores. There is a big push on the health benefits of dairy in China, and our milk products are highly valued. Within one supermarket alone, we saw Fonterra milk featured in such a range of products, including pastries and cakes, and even cheese lollypops. We’re a tiny country at the bottom of the world, but we’re feeding millions of people.”

A bespoke tour designed for Co-op farmers

Designed by Fonterra and Farm and Leisure Tours, these study tours are exclusive to Fonterra farmers, helping you connect with the Co-op’s strategy and see how our milk turns up on the global stage. It is also a chance to see what our large customers are focused on and what other milk producers are working on in terms of their innovation and sustainability initiatives, and to network with other Co-op farmers and staff.

Individuals pay their own way, with Farm and Leisure Tours managing the travel arrangements with attendees directly. The tour package includes all-inclusive flights, accommodation, meals, dedicated local guides and New Zealand-based guides, farm and technical visits, along with bucket list cultural sightseeing opportunities.

It is a fantastic professional development opportunity and can be accounted for as a business expense and is tax-deductible. Farm and Leisure Tours documents a study report for learning and reference material.

“It’s definitely something farmers should add to their ’bucket list’ and get an appreciation of how dairy works over there. China is our biggest market, and to see how it operates was incredible. It’s an opportunity to see what happens to our milk and how consumers see our milk as a premium product. You’re well looked after and the tour is amazing,” participating farmer Ben Price says.

Register your interest for the 2026 Fonterra China International Study Tour at enquiries@farmandleisuretours.nz.