Location: Massey University – Manawatū Campus

Tour Highlights:

- FoodPilot – Tour the Southern Hemisphere’s largest pilot-scale food plant. See spray driers, extruders, and scraped-surface heat exchangers in action, and learn how the facility supports businesses to scale and export.

- Nutrition Laboratory – ISO-accredited testing for nutrient profiles, shelf life, and product claims – vital for regulatory compliance and product integrity.

- Human Nutrition Research Unit – Experience the BodPod body composition chamber and see how clinical testing links dietary products to proven health outcomes.

- Feast Lab – Prof Joanne Hort and team take you on a tour from traditional sensory testing to immersing you in Aotearoa’s only 360° projected digital environment. Engage in the Metaverse, see eye-tracking to understand how rapid consumer feedback fine-tunes food flavour, texture and packaging for maximum market appeal. Knowing your consumers is a must for sustained product success.

Practical Notes:

- Closed-toe footwear required

- PPE (gowns, coats, hairnets) supplied

- Fully accessible venues

Location: Massey University – Research Farm Sites  

Focus: Sustainable farming systems and soil-first solutions.

Tour Highlights:

- Pasture Systems – Multi-species mixes for pasture resilience, animal production, and environmental outcomes. See the Licor trace gas analyser measuring greenhouse gas emissions directly from the soil.  

- Animal Performance & Emissions – Data on milk quality, yield, meat quality, and methane emissions, plus insights on feed–emission links for dairy brands and plant-based innovators.  

- Soil Health & Biodiversity – Practical soil-health metrics including visual assessments, worm counts, microbial activity, and nutrient budgets – increasingly requested by premium retailers.

Tour Format & Weather Contingency:

- Fine weather: Stop at Dairy 1 and PCRU Green Shed for talks and demonstrations  

- Wet weather: Drive-through sites with commentary, stop at PCRU Green Shed for covered demonstration

Key Takeaways:

- Transferable practices for orchards, glasshouses, and grazing systems  

- Independent data for sustainability reporting  

- Cost savings from reduced nitrogen and irrigation inputs

Practical Notes:

- Closed-toe footwear essential  

- Gumboots & hi-vis vests provided  

- Mostly outdoors – bring a jacket

Hosted by: Jerry Shearman (CEO of CEDA)

Te Utanganui is a key pillar project for the Manawatū region and is one of the three key nodes in the national freight network, alongside the Golden Triangle, and southern Crhsitchruch hub near Rolleston. The only place in New Zealand where road, rail and air freight services are combined in one hub, Te Utanganui will play a critical part on contributing to the movement of FMCG, primary goods, and manufacturing as we gear up to meet the government’s target of doubling exports by 2034. The tour will open with a presentation about Te Utanganui and then have a site visit to Primary Connect (Woolworths Regional DC) where you can see how fresh produce and packaged goods get from the factory to the consumer. This will be followed by a full Te Utanganui precinct tour. All delegates will leave with a goodie bag. www.TeUtanganui.co.nz 

All delegates will need to ensure they are wearing closed toe footwear. High vis vests will be supplied during the tour and must be worn as required. 

Practical Notes:

- Closed-toe footwear and high-vis vest required (vests provided)  

- Limited to 20 guests  

- Goodie bag included

Hosted by: Fonterra R&D Centre
Lead: FRDC specialist team (tour host: Pierre)

Focus: World-class dairy research, product & process innovation, microbiology, and sensory science.

Overview

Visit one of the world’s largest dairy research facilities, home to 350+ staff and 500+ patents. This tour showcases how FRDC takes ideas from lab bench to pilot scale to commercial production, with insights into sustainability, quality, and consumer-driven product development.

Tour highlights

• Overview of FRDC’s research capability (350+ staff; 500+ patents).

• Pioneering work in dairy science, sustainability, and product & process innovation.

• Guided visits to the Pilot Plant, Whole Genome Sequencing Suite, Microscopy Lab, and Product Experience Science (Food Lab).