Keeping cyber attacks at bay
Fonterra says it takes the ongoing threat of 'adverse cyber action' extremely seriously.
Fast-food giant McDonalds spent a record $598 million last year on New Zealand milk, cheese, and other primary industry ingredients.
Its annual shopping list, released this month, shows the fast-food chain used $214m worth of NZ products in its local restaurants. A whopping $384 million of produce was exported to other McDonald’s markets. The total spend was $52 million more than in 2021.
Nearly 7 million litres of fresh milk was sourced from dairy farmers – the equivalent of 246 Fonterra milk tankers and enough to fill Kelly Talton’s Stingray Bay aquarium tank 19 times, the company says.
Nearly 2 million kilograms of cheese and other dairy products were used locally, along with 11.6 million kg of cheese exported – the equivalent weight of 6500 empty shipping containers.
The company also used 900,000kg of lettuces and 12 million kg of potatoes in its local restaurants.
McDonalds sources its cheeses from Fonterra’s Eltham site in Taranaki. It says New Zealand farmers are also strategically important suppliers to McDonald’s worldwide. Kiwi produce is exported to McDonald’s markets including Australia, the Pacific Islands, Asia and the United States.
“McDonald’s has long recognised New Zealand as one of its top global suppliers of quality beef and dairy. It’s great to be able to supply a local menu where around 90% of the ingredients are sourced from across Aotearoa, and to share this quality produce with McDonald’s markets around the world,” says managing director NZ and Pacific Islands, Kylie Freeland.
“While we’re a small market in terms of our number of restaurants in the McDonald’s world, New Zealand is amongst the top 10 countries that supply beef to McDonald’s. Globally, we have several commitments around sustainable beef production, and the climate, which means we’re working closely with our local suppliers and industries to help encourage continuous improvement and making a positive impact on the planet.”
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.