Nestlé Argentina has opened a new liquid milk production line at its Villa Nueva factory in Córdoba province, following a CHF 12 million ($11.9 million) investment.

The new production line will allow the annual production of over 10 million litres of value-added liquid products with UHT technology at the facility, creating products for brands including Nesquik, Nido and NAN.

According to Nestlé, this investment paid for the installation of a new sterilisation plant, state-of-the-art technologies, an upgraded packing line, the renovation of existing boilers and a new cold system for the whole plant.

As a result of the expansion, the Villa Nueva factory is now the third Nestlé factory in the world to produce infant formulas in the UHT format.

This investment forms part of Nestle’s four-year CHF 127 million ($126.4 million) investment programme in the country, which aims to further expand the company’s presence in the Argentine dairy market.

Gian Carlo Aubry, CEO and president of Nestlé Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, said: “For 89 years we have been present in Argentina, leading the milk powder market and that encourages us to continue investing on the development of our brands.

“Today we are announcing our entry into the liquids market, with added-value products to bring news to our consumers, boost business growth, promote exports and be pioneers on new projects, such as organic milk and A2 milk.

“Nestlé has the strength to connect the demand of consumers from different parts of the world with the supply of countries like ours.”