Why Fonterra accepted defeat in the dairy aisle
OPINION: Fonterra's sale of its consumer dairy business to Lactalis is a clear sign of the co-operative’s failure to compete in the branded consumer market.
Fonterra Shareholders Council says the co-op's 45c drop in the 2015-16 forecast payout is a sobering blow to farmers.
Council chairman, Duncan Coull, says today's announcement of a 45 cent fall in the 2015-16 forecast Farmgate Milk Price, from $4.60/kgMS to $4.15/kgMS, is one that will further amplify the effects of the current low milk price environment on Farmers and their businesses.
"Farmers are very aware that this is a global story which is now having a significant local effect. Strong supply out of Europe coupled with flat demand is driving market sentiment as evidenced by the GDT results.
"While acknowledging that the milk price is something that is largely out of our co-op's control, farmers are always looking to the Board to communicate any significant price fluctuations that occur throughout the season in a very timely manner.
"Looking forward our Farmers will be expecting our co-operative model, which sees shareholders benefit from milk price and the value-add side of the business, to deliver for them in terms of the total available for payout.
"In the interim I encourage farmers to sit down with their rural professionals and seek guidance on how best to navigate through these tough times.
"Of equal importance is that they stay connected to their communities, and engaged with their co-op, especially in the current environment."
NZPork has appointed Auckland-based Paul Bucknell as its new chair.
The Government claims to have delivered on its election promise to protect productive farmland from emissions trading scheme (ETS) but red meat farmers aren’t happy.
Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks could have a detrimental impact on any country's rural sector, as seen in the United Kingdom's 2000 outbreak that saw the compulsory slaughter of over six million animals.
The Ministry for the Environment is joining as a national award sponsor in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA from next year).
Kiwis are wasting less of their food than they were two years ago, and this has been enough to push New Zealand’s total household food waste bill lower, the 2025 Rabobank KiwiHarvest Food Waste survey has found.
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