YILI BUILDS ON LINCOLN UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIP

Senior managers from both Yili and Oceania Dairy recently met with Lincoln University to build on the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding between Yili and the University.

Yili Group Chairman, Pan Gang and Lincoln University Vice-Chancellor, DR Andrew West, signed the MOU in front of Chinese President, Xi Jinping and Prime Minister John Key during the President’s visit to New Zealand late last year.

The Yili delegation included Dr Haung Xiaoping, Deputy Director of the Yili Innovation Centre.

A range of topics was discussed but conversations about value chains were emphasised.

“Lincoln University has product development expertise that is of particular interest to Yili,” said Shane Lodge, Oceania’s Quality and Compliance Manager.

“There is also a shared desire to explore ways to enhance brand value through food safety and the development of high nutrition products,” he said.

According to Lincoln University business development manager, Dr Samuel Yu
the University and Yili share similar ambitions concerning the dual challenge of lifting productivity and reducing environmental impacts of the farming process.

“We began exploring opportunities to achieve those ambitions through the use of precision agri-technologies and on-farm best practice.

“It is good to know that both Lincoln University and Yili have the same core objectives, as this will greatly improve the opportunity for achieving tangible and workable outcomes from the MOU for the benefit of the greater food industry.”