Crisis talks on Gore district plan
Moves are underway for farmers and Māori in Southland to try and resolve and get clarity over what appears to be a controversial section of the proposed Gore District Plan.
Hamilton-based Dairy Goat Co-operative (DGC) is revamping its leadership in the hope of recovering from its financial doldrums.
A new chief executive starts next week, and the co-op chair Campbell Storey will step down from the role at DGC's annual meeting in September.
Alastair Hulbert, who has a marketing degree from Massey University, starts as CEO on May 20. He replaces David Hemara who left the co-op a month ago. Former chief executive Tony Giles is acting as CEO until Hulbert takes over.
Dairy News understands DGC needs a cash injection to remain viable. There was backlash from farmer shareholders earlier this year after DGC asked suppliers to reduce their milk supply by one-third for the coming season.
In March, Hemara told Dairy News that DGC had advised its shareholder suppliers that it will call for less milk in the 2024/24 season than shareholders would normally expect to supply.
"While the final amount of milk per shareholder is yet to be finalised, we have advised shareholders that we expect that they will be asked to reduce supply to around two-thirds of normal level.
"This reduction is necessary to better balance incoming milk against forecast product sales for 2024/25. This is a continuation of a cap that we have applied for several seasons and reflects changing demand levels in some markets since Covid."
Hemara said that the global supply/demand situation for goat milk has been impacted by four key factors: Declining birth rates internationally, sales channels that have changed during Covid - incuding the Daigou informal sales channel to China, and cost of living pressure in many economies. There has also been a structural change in the China consumer market where over the last four years China consumers have moved strongly to support Chinese domestic brands. This same impact has occurred in the infant formula segment, he added.
"At present, our view is that there is more goat milk than demand globally."
Through its new partnership with New Zealand Landcare Trust, Fonterra has committed to funding ten $25,000 grants for wetland restoration in communities across the country.
The chair of the Dairy Environmental Leaders (DEL) says the country's dairy farmers are at the forefront of environmental management.
On the edge of the hot, dry Takapau plains, Norm and Del Atkins have cultivated a small but exceptional herd of 60 Holstein Friesian cows within their mixed breed herd of 360 dairy cows.
The DairyNZ board and management are currently trying to determine whether, and to what degree, their farmer levy payers will support any increase in their levy contributions.
Milk production is up nationally, despite drought conditions beginning to bite in some districts, according to the latest update from Fonterra.
Dry conditions are widespread but worse in some places, with rain and drought affecting farms just a few kilometres away.
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