The compnay had record income of $364 million and earnings of $140m.
Continued growth of its value-add businesses provided improved revenue and its bulk ingredient product mix performed well despite mixed market conditions.
Tatua processed 14.5m kilograms of milksolids, lower than the previous season, because of an extended dry summer.
It says in deciding the payout, the company aimed to achieve a balance between the needs of shareholders’ farming businesses and Tatua’s requirements for reinvesting in its long-term environmental, financial and social sustainability.
It plans to develop a new engineering support facility and make major investment in wastewater treatment infrastructure.
While it remains optimistic in its outlook for dairy and the season ahead the optimism is tempered by continuing volatility in the global trade arena.
“In addition, uncertainty around emerging domestic policies on both climate change and freshwater management have real potential to undermine investment confidence.
“Alongside our shareholders we will, nonetheless, embrace these challenges constructively.”
