This is part of the nationwide Fonterra Milk for Schools programme, which was trialled successfully in Northland.
“We are totally committed to Fonterra Milk for Schools because we believe it will make a lasting difference to the health of New Zealand’s children,” Fonterra chief executive Theo Spierings said.
We want Kiwis to grow up drinking milk because it’s good for them and we are proud that this programme will give every primary school kid the chance to enjoy this nutritious product.”
Research conducted by the University of Auckland has shown that children’s milk consumption in the Northland community, at school and at home, has increased significantly since the pilot began.
“We know that getting Kiwis drinking more milk is not an overnight job but we are committed to helping improve the health of our kids,” Spierings said.
“The Northland pilot allowed us to test our systems. We learnt some valuable lessons and got great feedback from schools in the area. We can now move forward with confidence the programme is a winner.”
Education Minister Hekia Parata has welcomed the nationwide roll-out.
“I congratulate Fonterra for this great initiative. As a government we continue to encourage business communities and other agencies to work together with our school communities to grow the momentum of raising achievement for five out of five kids,” Parata said.
Spierings said the cost of the programme would depend on the number of schools participating and this would not be known until the end of next year.
