Farmers - Synlait Milk

The Synlait Difference

Nearly 20 years ago, Synlait did what many others had been too afraid to, revealed plans to build a dairy processing facility right in the heart of Canterbury.

This would not be a little, boutique processor in a quiet corner of the region. It would be a state-of-the-art facility right on State Highway One bringing much needed competition to the region’s dairy sector and promising to do things differently.

The Synlait team made good on that promise.

Today we are a major employer in rural communities and are one of the largest infant formula manufacturers in the Southern Hemisphere and just as bold as before (hence the pink!).

Synlait has changed New Zealand’s dairy sector for good.

Our ability at developing high value, complex products sets us apart and is how we earn 6% of the country’s dairy export earnings from just 4% of its milk.

It has enabled us to add value for farmers in ways other companies never have. We are committed to doing even more in the future.

You can read more about the benefits of becoming a Synlait farmer supplier in ‘Your future with us’ or, if you’re up for a chat with one of the team (you’ll learn we like personal relationships not call centres) just email us or call 0800 233 825.

Supplier Benefits

No call centres

You are a name not a number at Synlait. We prefer personal relationships. Each farm has an Area Manager and a Sustainability Advisor and farmers call them directly any time for support. You can even call our CEO or Chair at any time … we run the old-fashioned way, with good, honest, open, direct two-way communications. We are also local with our Dunsandel HQ just down the road.

Market-leading on-farm support

Our team is here to help. We have the highest ratio of field staff to farmers of any dairy processor in New Zealand. We routinely visit suppliers on-farm or host events so you’re connected to each other and to the wider Synlait team. We provide pragmatic, practical advice on all things farming – from consenting to milk quality, efficiency and animal welfare. If we don’t know the answer we will find someone who does.

Commercially-smart sustainability

Our Lead With Pride™ programme guides farmers to best practice and pays them incentives above the base milk price once they are certified. While sustainability used to be a ‘nice to have’ it is now a ‘must do’ with global businesses buying New Zealand milk requiring detailed information on its environmental footprint. Sustainability has been embedded in Synlait’s DNA since day one so we ensure our farmers are not only compliant – they are ahead of what’s required.

Adding value

Synlait is well-known for pioneering milk streaming. We can easily process (and keep seperate) up to three streams of milk at any time. This gives us agility and the ability to quickly produce complex products which opens up valuable opportunities for farmers. That is how we earn 6% of New Zealand’s dairy export revenue from just 4% of its milk.

Click here to email us or call 0800 233 825

The best partner for farmers

We are often told Synlait stands out when it comes to partnering with our farmers.

We not only enable farmers to earn more for their milk, our team delivers valuable knowledge and experience to farming businesses (without adding to your payroll).

Click here to email us or call 0800 233 825

Lead With Pride™

Synlait was the first to pay farmers for hitting targets in sustainability, animal welfare and people management.

Sure, our competitors followed years later but our Lead With Pride™ programme remains the best in the market. That means certified Synlait farmers can be confident they are ahead of sustainability requirements.

Lead With Pride™ recognises and financially rewards suppliers who achieve dairy farming best practice. It guarantees the integrity of the pure natural milk certified farms produce.

This, in turn, enables our global customers to differentiate their products through having sustainably produced, superior quality milk which gives them the edge in the international competitive marketplace.

Environment

Lead with Foresight

New Zealand’s unique environment is reflected in the quality of the milk produced here, so protecting it is both good farming and good business. For dairy farming to be sustainable, our industry’s environmental practices must be sustainable too. To become certified, farmers must achieve excellence in the management of water, effluent, biodiversity, soil quality, energy, greenhouse gasses and emissions. Our team helps you get there.

Animal Health and Welfare

Lead with Care

The health and welfare of a herd impacts directly on milk quality. The best dairy farmers know this and work hard to ensure a happy, healthy herd. It’s the proactive steps they take today that help improve milk production tomorrow. This includes accurately monitoring and recording animal health events and outcomes so better decisions can be made in the future and performance improved. Certified farmers can be confident they exceed New Zealand’s Animal Health & Welfare standards.

Milk Quality

Lead with Greatness

It takes modern, innovative farming methods to produce the highest quality milk our customers want in their products. Our best suppliers are dedicated to food safety. They do this by monitoring milk quality daily and focusing on practices that ensure the absolute integrity of the pure natural milk they produce. Lead With PrideTM certified farmers are recognised for excellence in areas that our customers consider essential, including dairy presentation and infrastructure, hygiene practices, milk cooling, residue management and staff training.

Social Responsibility

Lead with Integrity

The greatest potential on any farm lies
in its people. By building cohesive teams
that have real drive and passion, our
suppliers are able to improve
overall farm performance.
Taking a comprehensive human
resources approach, farmers create
more opportunities for success, they
also attract the best employees.
Certified Members take a systems
approach to recruitment, management,
training and health & safety. They create a
sense of teamwork on farms and stand out
as an employer our industry respects.

Download the Lead With Pride™ pack

Supply Synlait

Want to join our milk suppliers?

Synlait’s milk suppliers rank alongside our customers as our most important business partners. If you share our passion for dairy, commitment to quality and a desire to take your business to the next level, supplying Synlait is the right decision.

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If you are currently a Synlait supplier, use the button below to long onto your Madcap site and your Lead With Pride™ Live account.

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