Genetics, Efficiency and Performance: How the Burgesses are raising the bar at Te Poi
Bill and Michelle Burgess had an eye-opening realisation when they produced the same with fewer cows.
DairyNZ chairman Jim van der Poel says the dairy sector and Fonterra has benefited from John Wilson’s “inspirational leadership” for over 20 years.
Read: John Wilson steps down as Fonterra chair.
Van der Poel, a former Fonterra director, was commenting on news that Wilson had stepped down as Fonterra chair following a serious health scare.
He says DairyNZ is saddened by Wilson’s departure.
“The dairy sector and Fonterra has benefited from John’s inspirational leadership skills for over 20 years. At a relatively young age, when others might focus solely on their farming business, John chose to devote a significant amount of time to key leadership roles, firstly as chair of the Fonterra Shareholders Council, then as a director of Fonterra and ultimately as chair since 2012,” he says.
“As an elected farmer director, John’s understanding of the Fonterra business and the market environment in which it operates is second to none. His passion and dedication to the sector, however, goes much further than Fonterra.
“John has always been an active participant in industry-good initiatives, including more recently the new Dairy Tomorrow strategy and also the Mycoplasma bovischallenge we are currently grappling with. John has always made time for these important issues and DairyNZ would like to thank him for his commitment and leadership contributions.”
Van der Poel says DairyNZ looks forward to working new chairman John Monaghan.
He wished John Wilson a speedy recovery.
Legal controls on the movement of fruits and vegetables are now in place in Auckland’s Mt Roskill suburb, says Biosecurity New Zealand Commissioner North Mike Inglis.
Arable growers worried that some weeds in their crops may have developed herbicide resistance can now get the suspected plants tested for free.
Fruit growers and exporters are worried following the discovery of a male Queensland fruit fly in Auckland this week.
Dairy prices have jumped in the overnight Global Dairy Trade (GDT) auction, breaking a five-month negative streak.
Alliance Group chief executive Willie Wiese is leaving the company after three years in the role.
A booklet produced in 2025 by the Rotoiti 15 trust, Department of Conservation and Scion – now part of the Bioeconomy Science Institute – aims to help people identify insect pests and diseases.