Fonterra Elections 2026: Voting Opens Tuesday 20 October
Fonterra shareholders can begin voting on Tuesday 20 October in the 2026 Board of Directors’ election, a Co-operative Council election in one Ward, and seven Annual Meeting resolutions.
Fonterra chairman John Monaghan says the co-op remains strong at its core despite the disastrous interim financial results announced this morning.
He says over the last 12 months Fonterra has improved its cashflow, reduced debt and removed significant cost from within the business.
However, he admits there is still more to do.
‘The business units that are at the heart of our new strategy are delivering for us and we look forward to discussing our new strategy and our performance with our owners in September.
“It’s important that we now implement our new strategy and deliver value back to them,” says Monaghan.
Fonterra is signalling a full-year loss of up to $675 million for year ending July 2019. Last year, the co-op posted its first ever loss of $196m.
The co-op has also decided not to pay a dividend this year, on the back of $860m write-down in asset value.
Monaghan said that in-light of the significant write-downs that reflect important accounting adjustments Fonterra needed to make, the board had brought forward its decision on the full year dividend for FY19.
“We have made the call not to pay a dividend for FY19. Our owners’ livelihoods were front of mind when making this decision and we are well aware of the challenging environment farmers are operating in at the moment.
“Ultimately, we are charged with acting in the best long-term interests of the co-op. The underlying performance of the business is in-line with the latest earnings guidance, but we cannot ignore the reported loss of $590 - $675 million once you look at the overall picture.
“Not paying a dividend for the FY19 financial year is part of our stated intention to reduce the co-op’s debt, which is in everybody’s long-term interests.”
Alliance is calling for final applications for its 2027 Graduate Programme, with applications closing on Sunday 25 October.
Decades piloting planes has ensured vet and farmer David Hayes is focused on safety. So, after a serious accident while welding on farm, he is sharing his experience so others can learn from it.
Canterbury milk processor, Synlait Milk has confirmed Leon Fung as its chief executive officer.
OPINION: Making it easier to collect rainwater and use it to grow crops and livestock is a no brainer.
As part of its Election 2026 coverage, Rural News asked political parties how they would help pull the arable sector out of the doldrums. Here's what they said:
Farmers are being encouraged to rethink how they manage waste on farm with the launch of ruralwastesorted.co.nz, a new website bringing together practical tips, real farmer experiences and resources.
OPINION: It seems Canterbury processor Synlait is still in the doldrums.
OPINION: Get offside with New Zealand First leader Winston Peters at your own peril.