Cranes carefully take down the last milk silo at Oringi.
Cranes carefully take down the last milk silo at Oringi.
The last milk silo at Oringi near Dannevirke was taken down on November 10.
It symbolically brought to an end the days of the milk train. Until the last milk train left for Hawera in January 2015 residents of Tararua were used to seeing the train load up at Oringi,sometimes under lights, then wind its way through the Manawatu Gorge to Taranaki.
Since then Pahiatua has had its $250 million milk-drying plant expansion and the Powder Plant 3 is in its second season.
According to Plant Administrator Tracey Lett it is running extremely well.
A fleet of 49 tankers collects more than six million litres of milk over 24 hours at the present peak of production, working day and night shifts to take it to Pahiatua and Longburn plants in the Manawatu.
There are 220 employed at the Pahiatua factory, involved in manufacturing, maintenance, environmental controls, transport and distribution.
The Oringi site has been disestablished, a large amount of the plant being reused at other sites or recycled.
The milk silo which originated from Longburn has now been moved to the Pahiatua site after being thoroughly checked by engineers to ensure it is structurally sound.
Throughout the North Island milk volumes are 10 per cent lower than last season partly due to suppliers cutting back and the lack of sun reducing grass nutrient values, according to one agricultural spokesman.
