Pallet maker retains Fonterra contract
Timpack, one of New Zealand's largest wooden pallet and bin manufacturers, has been rewarded an exclusive contract to supply Fonterra.
Despite news that Fonterra’s partnership with Chinese company Beingmate appears to be going from bad to worse, the co-op is still claiming “confidence” in the investment.
Beingmate last week reported a preliminary net loss of RMB964 million (NZ$211 million) down 23% on last year’s result. The company also confirmed it was delisting from the Chinese stock exchange.
Fonterra bought an 18.8% share in Beingmate in 2014 for $756m. Four years later the value of that investment has shrunk to about $220m.
Chairman John Wilson admits, in the latest issue of Fonterra’s Farm Source magazine, the co-op “remains very concerned” about Beingmate’s performance. However, despite the plague of issues with the Chinese company, he tells farmer shareholders they need “to be patient and play the long game”.
Wilson claims that despite Beingmate’s recent performance “the potential of our broader partnership remains”.
Wilson also says Fonterra’s management – including chief executive Theo Spierings – are “working through a strategic co-operation committee with Beingmate founder Sam Xie and are confident the situation can be turned around in the medium term”.
This International Women's Day, there are calls to address a reported gender disparity gap between men women New Zealand's horticulture industry leadership.
WorkSafe New Zealand is calling on farmers to consider how vehicles move inside their barns and sheds, following a sentencing for a death at one of South Canterbury’s biggest agribusinesses.
Now is not the time to stop incorporating plantain into dairy pasture systems to reduce nitrogen (N) loss, says Agricom Australasia brand manager Mark Brown.
Building on the success of last year's events, the opportunity to attend People Expos is back for 2025, offering farmers the chance to be inspired and gain more tips and insights for their toolkits to support their people on farm.
Ballance Agri-Nutrients fertiliser SustaiN – which contains a urease inhibitor that reduces the amount of ammonia released to the air – has now been registered by the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI). It is the first fertiliser in New Zealand to achieve this status.
Precision application of nitrogen can improve yields, but the costs of testing currently outweigh improved returns, according to new research from Plant and Food Research, MPI and Ravensdown.
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