A Year of Delivery for Fonterra
Fonterra’s 2026 financial year was a year of delivery, with record volumes of milk collected, processed and shipped by the co-op.
More Fonterra farmers are using cellphones to keep track of their businesses, the co-op reports.
Farmer use of information from their co-op smartphone apps has doubled in the past year.
While its Farm Source website remains popular for reporting and comparisons at month end, Fonterra mobile apps are now used more often for checking key day-to-day data. Farmer mobile apps have made 13,000 unique user downloads.
General manager operations and farmer services Evelyn Seewald says getting information to farmers faster is a priority.
"Farmers are rapid adopters of digital technology onfarm and have led the design of our apps with their feedback.... Farmers who previously swore they'd never need a smartphone now tell us they can't imagine life without it.
The apps enable farmers to access key milk production and quality information and receive business updates. And they deliver quality assurance and service data.
"Having quality and production information at their fingertips allows farmers to make timely onfarm decisions and get alerts to potential quality issues any time, anywhere."
Fonterra has three apps available for download for its farmers or users nominated by farmers: a milk production and quality app (2014), a news app (2015) and a monthly plant check app now being piloted.
Apps — the details
Three apps are available to co-op farmers or their nominees:
· The On Farm app provides farmers with key milk production and quality information and allows them to update their milk collection times
· The My Co-op app gives co-op news and financial information, and Farm Source Store rewards and offers
· The Monthly Plant Check app, being piloted this season, will transform a task previously done using a paper manual.
Fonterra’s 2026 financial year was a year of delivery, with record volumes of milk collected, processed and shipped by the co-op.
OPINION: The Government's decision to reinstate agriculture and horticultural science as a standalone subject from Year 11 is the right one.
Dairy farmers, still holding onto their Fonterra shares despite switching milk supply elsewhere or exiting the industry, now face a stricter share sell-down requirement.
Hamilton-based agritech company Aimer Farming has completed a $3 million capital raise to support its next stage of growth, including a beef farming product due to launch in 2027.
When dairy manager Miriam Lauridsen learned the farm, she was joining held weekly health and safety meetings, she initially thought that was “a bit over the top”. Experiencing that culture changed her mind.
Nominations are open for the 2027 Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year Award.
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.