Fonterra Whareroa sets cheese record, wins top award
Fonterra Whareroa wrapped up a successful season with a record-breaking cheese production volume and several gongs at the co-op's annual Best Site Cup awards.
Fonterra has announced a record forecast opening organic milk price of $12.30/kgMS for the new season.
The co-op’s organic suppliers will get $9.25/kgMS as advance rate for milk supplied for the first four months of the new season – June to September.
Fonterra’s organic supply manager Stuart Luxton says the record price shows the increase in demand for their top-quality products and “really delivers back to our hardworking organic farmers”.
Meanwhile Fonterra has lifted last season’s organic milk price to $12/kgMS.
Last week Fonterra also announced a record opening forecast milk price for conventional milk - $10/kgMS.
Recently Organics New Zealand released its 2025 Organic Sector Market Report, which noted that the sector has grown from $723 million in 2020 to $1.18 billion in 2024. Exports totalled NZ$606.7 million, growing at nearly twice the rate of total primary sector exports.
Organic dairy is the second biggest sector, with exports up 39.5% from 2020 to $214 million.
Hosted by ginger dynamo Te Radar, the Fieldays Innovation Award Winners Event put the spotlight on the agricultural industry's most promising ideas.
According to DairyNZ's latest Econ Tracker update, there has been a rise in the forecast breakeven milk price for the 2025/26 season.
Despite the rain and a liberal coating of mud, engines roared, and the 50th Fieldays Tractor Pull Competition drew crowds of spectators across the four days of the annual event.
Nationwide rural wellbeing programme, Farmstrong recently celebrated its tenth birthday at Fieldays with an event attended by ambassador Sam Whitelock, Farmers Mutual Group (FMG), Farmstrong partners, and government Ministers.
Six industry organisations, including DairyNZ and the Dairy Companies Association (DCANZ) have signed an agreement with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to prepare the country for a potential foot and mouth outbreak.
The 2026 Red Dairy Cow conference will be hosted by New Zealand in March.
OPINION: It's official, Fieldays 2025 clocked 110,000 visitors over the four days.
OPINION: The Federated Farmers rural advocacy hub at Fieldays has been touted as a great success.