A groundbreaking Maori-owned milk powder plant near Taupo has opened.

    About 700 invited guests, shareholders and suppliers attended the official opening of Miraka - the country's first majority Maori-owned whole milk powder plant - at Mokai.

    The state-of-the art $90 million plant, 30km northwest of Taupo, has been in operation since August, producing whole milk powder for overseas markets using renewable steam and electricity from the nearby Tuaropaki geothermal power station.

    Saturday's official opening was marked with a powhiri followed by unveiling of a commemorative plaque and a tour of the plant.

    Chairman of Miraka Ltd Kingi Smiler said the project, which was eight years in the planning, was the result of a unique alliance of Maori trusts with significant land assets and farming operations.

     The two major shareholders are the Tuaropaki Trust, which owns the land where the plant is sited and Wairarapa Moana Incorporation, which runs around 10,000 dairy cows on land it owns at Pouakani near Mangakino.

    Other shareholders suppliers include Waipapa 9 Trust, Hauhungaroa Partnership, Tauhara Moana Trust and Huiarau Farms.

    Strategic partners and investors are The Maori Trustee, Te Awahohonu Forest Trust Limited, Global Dairy Network and the Vietnamese milk and dairy manufacturing company, Vinamilk

    "We all share a vision of sustainable business practice.

    "The land we own can never be sold and combining forces to process our own milk will provide better long term returns, offering financial security for suppliers, shareholders and staff while providing for current and future generations," Mr Smiler said.

    Spokesman for Tauhara Moana Trust Topia Rameka said this rationale made sense and could be a template for others.

    "There are commercial advantages for Maori businesses to cluster." For his trust he said "there was also value in supplying to a company that specialised in a high end product."

    The plant employs 30 staff and includes a milk reception area, evaporator, spray drying facility and warehouse.

    Treated wastewater is irrigated on to farmland owned by the Tuaropaki Trust with waste solids disposed to the trust's worm farm.

    Milk powder products from the factory are being marketed by Global Dairy Network to Vietnam, China, the US, Malaysia, Taiwan, the Pacific Islands, Australia and the Middle East.

    Chief Executive Officer Richard Wyeth said the project phase was completed on time and within budget and the plant was operating at more than 80 per cent capacity as planned and will be at 100 per cent next year.

    He said the first five months of operations had exceeded expectations with sales and shipping ahead of schedule and whole milk powder from Miraka, now being used throughout the world.

    "Thanks to the way the company has been set up we have a solid base of suppliers in place and a strong balance sheet."

    Mr Wyeth said the plant was capable of processing 210 million litres of milk per annum - turning out eight tonne of whole milk powder per hour.

    "We have the technology to produce top quality milk powder and being smaller have the flexibility to develop strong relationships with end users by taking time to understand their business requirements."

    He said the plant had been designed to allow further expansion but the initial focus was on processing top quality milk powder and building a solid foundation of suppliers and customers.

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