Buyer for VLG assets
The New Zealand Rural Land Company (NZL) says it has entered conditional agreements to buy assets from the Van Leeuwen Group (VGL), which went into receivership last week.
The owners of one of New Zealand's largest dairy operations, the Van Leeuwen Dairy Group, say the operation is alive and well.
Adriaan and Wilma van Leeuwen told Dairy News by email from overseas that the South Canterbury business is not in receivership, as rumoured.
They also had heard this rumour, on RNZ National radio, but say it is "false". The group has 12 holdings and 12,000 dairy cows, and is the world's largest robotic milking farm. Last year it expanded by installing 24 Lely robots in three barns of 500 cows each.
Adriaan and Wilma also made the Rich List last year with wealth estimated at $65 million.
The country’s 4200 commercial fruit and vegetable growers will vote from May 14 on a new HortNZ levy.
Meat processor Alliance Group is asking farmer shareholders to inject more capital in order to remain a 100% co-operative.
A vet is calling for all animals to be vaccinated against a new strain of leptospirosis (lepto) discovered on New Zealand dairy farms in recent years.
Dairy
Rural banker Rabobank is partnering with Food Rescue Kitchen on a new TV series which airs this weekend that aims to shine a light on the real and growing issues of food waste, food poverty and social isolation in New Zealand.
Telco infrastructure provider Chorus says that it believes all Kiwis – particularly those in the rural areas – need access to high-speed, reliable broadband.