Two new awards open to help young farmers progress to farm ownership
Entries have opened for two awards in the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards (NZDIA) programme, aimed at helping young farmers progress to farm ownership.
Fonterra is shedding another 227 jobs as part of an on-going business review.
In a statement today, the co-op said total job losses to date stands at 750; it had previously announced 523 job losses.
Fonterra chief executive Theo Spierings says the purpose of the review is to ensure that Fonterra remains well positioned to compete in a rapidly changing global dairy market.
One-off savings generated by changes the cooperative is making during the business review, such as improving working capital, have already enabled the cooperative to support our farmers during challenging market conditions.
The review is an on-going process that looks at the entire business to identify potential areas where the cooperative can find more efficiencies and improve future performance, he says.
"We have great people, but we have to make tough decisions to ensure Fonterra remains competitive in this environment. We will continue to fine-tune our organisation to ensure we best support the initiatives identified by our business review," says Spierings.
"Our business is looking to the future with the momentum, energy and solid plans needed to keep improving performance."
Additional reductions to costs for forest owners in the Emissions Trading Scheme Registry (ETS) have been announced by the Government.
Animal welfare is of paramount importance to New Zealand's dairy industry, with consumers increasingly interested in how food is produced, not just the quality of the final product.
Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay is encouraging farmers and growers to stay up to date with weather warnings and seek support should they need it.
The closure of SH2 Waioweka Gorge could result in significant delays and additional costs for freight customers around the Upper North Island, says Transporting New Zealand.
OPINION: The year has started positively for New Zealand dairy farmers and things are likely to get better.
Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) Director General Ray Smith believes there is potential for an increase in dairy farming in New Zealand.
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