New Overseas Expansion Following Thailand Facility
GuaiBao Pet has officially announced its plan to invest ¥950 million—using self-owned and self-raised capital—to build a high-end pet food manufacturing project in New Zealand. This marks another significant step in its global strategy after establishing a pet food factory in Thailand.
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Phase I: ¥350 Million Investment and 50,000-Ton Annual Capacity
According to the announcement, the project aims to fully integrate New Zealand’s strengths in premium raw materials and advanced processing technologies, optimizing the global supply chain and mitigating regional market risks.
- Total planned investment: ¥950 million
- Phase I investment: ¥350 million
- Total construction cycle: 5 years
- Location: Waikato, New Zealand
- Estimated footprint: ~48,000 m²
- Annual production capacity: 50,000 tons of high-end pet food
The facility will produce freeze-dried treats, baked treats, wet food, functional pet supplements, and other premium categories. It will include specialized workshops, warehouses, an R&D center, canteen, and additional supporting infrastructure.
Enhancing Global Supply Chain & High-End Product Matrix
With access to New Zealand’s natural, rich, and hormone-free animal protein sources, the project will strengthen GuaiBao’s control over high-grade raw materials. This expansion enables the company to build a diversified portfolio of high-end products and better meet global demand for super-premium pet food.
The investment will also accelerate GuaiBao’s overseas market penetration and enhance its brand influence worldwide.
New Zealand: A Strategic Hub for Global Pet Food Production
New Zealand is regarded as one of the world’s most important origins for high-quality pet food thanks to its pure environment and strict agricultural regulations. The country strictly prohibits growth hormones and closely controls antibiotic usage while offering abundant grass-fed beef, wild venison, and deep-sea fish.
Before GuaiBao, Chinese pet food leaders such as China Pet Foods (CPF / Zhongpet) and Petty (PettyCo) had already deployed large-scale production capacity in New Zealand.
China Pet Foods Investments
Public data shows more than ¥800 million invested across:
- 2018 acquisition of NPTC (adding 20,000 tons wet food capacity)
- 2018 acquisition of Alpine (2,000 tons treats, currently full capacity)
- 2021 acquisition of 70% of PFNZ (adding 8,000 tons wet food capacity)
- Planned expansion of an additional 20,000-ton capacity
PettyCo
Petty began planning its New Zealand dry-food project in 2019. By March 2024, its 40,000-ton high-meat-content kibble facility officially went into production, supporting recipes with up to 90% fresh meat.
This wave of investment highlights New Zealand’s growing role as a strategic global pet food manufacturing hub.
Disclaimer
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