ANZ defends farm lending rates
The country's largest lender to the agriculture sector says it's not favouring home loans over farm and business lending.
The A1 versus A2 debate has the potential to tear the industry apart.
So says retired Lincoln University professor Keith Woodford, a strong advocate of A2 milk, he says people had tried to “shut him up”.
But he told Federated Farmers dairy conference that the tide has turned.
“Fonterra did not lightly make the decision earlier this year to get into bed with the a2 milk company, having denigrated them on occasions for 20-odd years,” he says.
“Nestle did not lightly take the opportunity earlier this year to start making its own A2 infant formula in China; and Mengniu, one of China’s biggest dairy companies, did not go that way lightly.”
He says dairy industry leaders must keep abreast of development in the A2 milk sector.
“There is science to go with it, don’t ever doubt that,” he says.
New DairyNZ chair Tracy Brown says bipartisan agreement among political parties on emissions pricing and freshwater regulations would greatly help farmers.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says the relationship between New Zealand and the US will remain strong and enduring irrespective of changing administrations.
More than 200 people turned out on Thursday, November 21 to see what progress has been made on one of NZ's biggest and most comprehensive agriculture research programmes on regenerative agriculture.
The a2 Milk Company (a2MC) says securing more China label registrations and developing its own nutritional manufacturing capability are high on its agenda.
Stellar speakers, top-notch trade sites, innovation, technology and connections are all on offer at the 2025 East Coast Farming Expo being once again hosted in Wairoa in February.
As a guest of the Italian Trade Association, Rural News Group Machinery Editor Mark Daniel took the opportunity to make an early November dash to Bologna to the 46th EIMA exhibition.
OPINION: Fonterra may have sold its dairy farms in China but the appetite for collaboration with the country remains strong.
OPINION: The Listener's latest piece on winter grazing among Southland dairy farmers leaves much to be desired.