Yili in Global Top 5 dairy companies
Yili, which operates Westland Dairy Company and Oceania Dairy, has consolidated its position among the top five dairy companies in the world.
Oceania Dairy has announced they will supply farmers with a guaranteed minimum milk payout of $4.50/kgMS for the 2015-16 season.
On the back of continued turbulence in global dairy markets, Oceania hopes their guarantee will help support struggling dairy farmers.
"With Fonterra reducing its forecast payout for the season to $3.85, we wanted to send an important signal of support and partnership to our supply farmers," says Roger Usmar, general manager, Oceania Dairy Limited.
"Backed by our owner, Yili, Oceania Dairy has looked at how we can practically support our suppliers at a difficult time for the sector.
A premium minimum guarantee will offer farmers some certainty to their cash flow and operational planning for the 2015-16 season, says Usmar.
"Our suppliers are the life-blood of our business so we are investing in them and their future with Oceania Dairy," he says.
Yili recently announced details of a further five-year, $400 million development project on the Glenavy site. The comprehensive project will add capacity to output a wide range of additional products from the Glenavy factory.
This will include a whole milk powder dryer, an infant formula canning line and facilities to manufacture UHT milk products and lactoferrin.
"By working in partnership with our suppliers now, we believe that we can all be better positioned to capitalise on the opportunities of the future."
The chair of Beef + Lamb NZ, Kate Acland says the rush appears to be on to purchase farms and convert them to forestry before new rules limiting this come into effect.
New Zealand farmers will face higher urea prices this year, mainly on the back of tight global supply and a weak Kiwi dollar.
Andy Caughey of Wool Impact says a lot of people in NZ have been saying it's crazy that we are not using natural fibres in our buildings and houses.
Former chief executive of Beef+Lamb New Zealand Scott Champion will head the Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) from July.
Avian flu getting into New Zealand's poultry industry is the biosecurity threat that is most worrying for Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard.
The annual domestic utilisation of wool will double to 30,000 tonnes because of the edict that government agencies should use woollen fibre products in the construction of new and refurbished buildings.