Divestment means Fonterra can focus on its strengths
OPINION: Fonterra's board has certainly presented us, as shareholders, with a major issue to consider.
Sixty new dairy process jobs were created when Fonterra opened four plants in the South Island recently.
First came the Mozzarella plant at the Clandeboye site, followed next day by Deputy Prime Minister Bill English opening three plants at the Edendale site in Southland. The three were an anhydrous milk fat plant, a reverse osmosis plant to make the dryers more efficient and a milk protein concentrate plant.
Some 200 people attended -- Fonterra farmers, staff, iwi and central and local government representatives.
Fonterra managing director global operations Robert Spurway said "Investing in dairy processing in towns like Clandeboye and Edendale supports the local dairy workforce, brings opportunities for tradesmen, consultants and contractors and has a flow-on effect for local businesses."
Leading up to the 60 process jobs, the projects have also provided work for thousands of people during construction.
Spurway said "While our preference is to fill roles locally, these expansions are also a drawcard for people looking to move in from outside the region, bringing investment in housing and infrastructure."
These new plants help Fonterra to shift milk into more products that deliver higher returns.
After attending both events, Fonterra director Leonie Guiney said "the site expansions had already contributed to Fonterra's improved performance in the first quarter of the current financial year".
"Our new plants enabled our co-op to avoid incurring additional costs at the peak of the current season. We are achieving higher yields and quality, and the flexibility to vary our product mix is enabling us to earn margins above the prevailing market prices."
Meat co-operative, Alliance has met with a group of farmer shareholders, who oppose the sale of a controlling stake in the co-op to Irish company Dawn Meats.
Rollovers of quad bikes or ATVs towing calf milk trailers have typically prompted a Safety Alert from Safer Farms, the industry-led organisation dedicated to fostering a safer farming culture across New Zealand.
The Government has announced it has invested $8 million in lower methane dairy genetics research.
A group of Kiwi farmers are urging Alliance farmer-shareholders to vote against a deal that would see the red meat co-operative sell approximately $270 million in shares to Ireland's Dawn Meats.
In a few hundred words it's impossible to adequately describe the outstanding contribution that James Brendan Bolger made to New Zealand since he first entered politics in 1972.
Dawn Meats is set to increase its proposed investment in Alliance Group by up to $25 million following stronger than forecast year-end results by Alliance.
OPINION: Voting is underway for Fonterra’s divestment proposal, with shareholders deciding whether or not sell its consumer brands business.
OPINION: Politicians and Wellington bureaucrats should take a leaf out of the book of Canterbury District Police Commander Superintendent Tony Hill.