‘Another employer lost’: Marton malt mill set to shut
Malteurop has announced the closure of its Marton malt mill in New Zealand, set for September. The move impacts 14 local workers and raises concerns about the future of the regional agricultural industry.
Why it matters
The closure highlights the economic vulnerability of regional manufacturing hubs and the broader challenges facing the agricultural supply chain.
Aotearoa's main malt supplier announced it will close its Marton mill, leaving the district with one less employer and local growers, farmers and workers facing uncertain futures come September.
Rangitīkei mayor Andy Watson said the looming closure of Marton Maltings would leave families across the wider region without the long-term, stable employment the industry had once offered.
"Times are tough, you know, and it's another employer that we've lost."
The multinational malt supplier, Malteurop, currently supplied around 70 percent of the total malt market, including to key breweries such as Lion, DB and Asahi.
Its Marton branch, Marton Millings, had been home to the largest malting factory in Aotearoa since 2008, and would shut at the end of September.
It's "not such a rosy picture" for grain farmers across the motū due to rising costs, Watson said.
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