Editorial: Punching Above Our Weight
OPINION: With 10,500 dairy farms, New Zealand continues to punch above its weight around the world.
WITH POLLS closing on Monday, November 4, Fonterra shareholders are being urged to vote in this year's board elections.
At least one new director will be elected to the co-op board this year and Fonterra Shareholders Council chair, Ian Brown, is urging farmers to take part in the poll and elect the best-qualified people to govern their business.
Six director candidates -Gray Baldwin, Leonie Guiney, David MacLeod, John Monaghan, Garry Reymer and Grant Rowan are vying for three seats at Fonterra's top-table, with voting closing at 10.30am on Monday, 10 November.
Brown says it is vital that shareholders take the responsibility to make an informed decision that benefits us now and the next generation of Fonterra farmers in years to come.
"This means electing to our board the candidates with the mix of governance skills, ability and experience that will enable Fonterra to continue to succeed in the global marketplace in which it operates."
Voting information
• Voting for the directors' and the Shareholders' Council elections closes at 10.30am on Monday, 10 November 2014 with the results announced later that day.
• Shareholders can vote by internet, fax or post, using the Single Transferable Vote system.
• Three seats on the Fonterra board will be contested.
• The director candidates are: Gray Baldwin, Leonie Guiney, David MacLeod, John Monaghan, Garry Reymer, and Grant Rowan.
• Four seats on the Shareholders' Council will be contested in wards: 2 Central Northland, 7 Piako, 14 Eastern Bay of Plenty and 22 Northern Manawatu.
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As we move into the second half of 2026, the Tractor and Machinery Association (TAMA) reports that Year-to-Date figures ending June 30 saw new tractor deliveries hitting 1,386 units or 10.7% ahead of the same period in 2025.
The avocado sector is entering the new season with a larger crop and positive market opportunities.
New Zealand growers have always adapted to changing conditions, but one challenge is steadily gaining ground across the horticulture sector: resistance.
Blueberries have the potential to become a major horticultural export, earning up to $150 million within the next three to five years.
Twenty five secondary school students from around New Zealand recently completed a three day residential programme designed to explore career opportunities across the food and fibre production supply chain.
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