Keeping cyber attacks at bay
Fonterra says it takes the ongoing threat of 'adverse cyber action' extremely seriously.
Fonterra chairman John Wilson has told shareholders the co-op delivered a strong performance for the year.
He noted the co-op achieved an EBIT of $974m and a 183% increase in net profit at $506 million.
These results importantly include the Latin American business, Dairy Partners Americas for the first time, Wilson noted.
"While the strong second half result was pleasing, the first half was disappointing with big movements in dairy prices impacting inventory valuations and product mix returns," he told about 300 shareholders at the annual meeting this week in Waitoa.
"It was frustrating to finish third out of the cooperatives, and this is unacceptable.
"The reality is the week-to-week swings in price and foreign exchange, and the way we each sell products has a big impact on year to year comparisons.
"We paid a 25c dividend, which this season reflected the higher funding costs from our investments in capacity along with our higher relative advance rate."
Among the regular exhibitors at last month’s South Island Agricultural Field Days, the one that arguably takes the most intensive preparation every time is the PGG Wrightson Seeds site.
Two high producing Canterbury dairy farmers are moving to blended stockfeed supplements fed in-shed for a number of reasons, not the least of which is to boost protein levels, which they can’t achieve through pasture under the region’s nitrogen limit of 190kg/ha.
Buoyed by strong forecasts for milk prices and a renewed demand for dairy assets, the South Island rural real estate market has begun the year with positive momentum, according to Colliers.
The six young cattle breeders participating in the inaugural Holstein Friesian NZ young breeder development programme have completed their first event of the year.
New Zealand feed producers are being encouraged to boost staff training to maintain efficiency and product quality.
OPINION: The world is bracing for a trade war between the two biggest economies.