Fonterra, Sharesies join to make share trading easier
Fonterra is teaming up with wealth app provider Sharesies to make it easier for its farmer shareholders to trade co-op shares among themselves.
Fonterra is disputing claims made in the April 10 issue of Dairy News that its plans to turn around the co-op’s disastrous investment in Chinese baby food company Beingmate will be hampered by the return of the company’s founder.
In the article headed: ‘Chinese whispers in Beingmate boardroom’ Dairy News reported that Beingmate founder and cornerstone shareholder Sam Xie had decided, last month, to take over as chief executive of the company and his return – after a seven-year hiatus – is triggering a power struggle and rocking the board.
The article pointed out the relationship between Xie and Fonterra chief executive Theo Spierings remains frayed, hindering the two stakeholders in their efforts to plan amicably to salvage the company.
However, a Fonterra spokesman says Xie is not the chief executive of Beingmate Baby and Food so the observations about the impact this will have on Fonterra are completely without basis.
He says, in fact, that Xie has come back as chief executive of the parent company Beingmate and not Being Baby and Food – which is “an entirely separate company”.
“As such, the comments about Sam being back at the helm – and Fonterra struggling to have influence, or turn around the business as a result – are simply incorrect,” Fonterra claims.
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.