Mars Petcare is closing its pet food factory in New Zealand and moving to Thailand in a bid to be closer to Asian markets and reduce its operating costs.
In 2020, Mars Petcare will close the Whanganui facility, which it bought in 1993, reported the Stuff, New Zealand.
The factory, which marked its 25th anniversary last year, produces Whiskas and employs 152 people, who will lose their jobs.
The Asia-Pacific region leads global momentum of sales growth for dog and cat food, said Galen Rokey, of extruder manufacturer Wenger, at the Pet Food Process Technology Seminar in Singapore in October.
As pet populations grow, the Asia-Pacific region seems likely to lead global sales growth for pet food. Among Asia-Pacific countries, China stands out. In 2018, Chinese pet owners spent £1.74bn on pet food with the lion’s share on dog.
