Better days ahead for Synlait farmers
Synlait farmer suppliers are relieved to see the troubled milk processor on the road to recovery.
Synlait Milk has dual listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) and started trading on Friday.
“Interest in Synlait from Australian investors has grown in the past few years – 72% of our institutional shareholding is based in Australia,” says John Penno, managing director and chief executive.
“Being dual listed on the NZX and ASX increases access for institutional investors in Australia, and opens up the company to Australian retail investors too.”
Synlait expects this dual listing will provide increased liquidity, as well as a broader and diversified shareholder base.
“We’ve launched our next growth phase - a three year, $300 million capital expansion programme - and will continue to pursue profitable opportunities to make more from milk. I’m pleased NZX and ASX investors both have the opportunity to be a part of our journey.”
Synlait’s growth was recently underpinned by the successful $98 million pro-rata rights issue, which closed in October 2016.
Synlait has listed on ASX as a foreign exempt issuer under a compliance listing, which will not see any capital raised as a part of the process.
In the financial year ending July 31, 2016 (FY16), Synlait reported a record net profit after tax (NPAT) of $34.4 million ($10.6 million in FY15).
Located in New Zealand’s South Island, Synlait employs more than 430 staff and their Dunsandel site in Canterbury received 658 million litres of milk in FY16.
Among the regular exhibitors at last month’s South Island Agricultural Field Days, the one that arguably takes the most intensive preparation every time is the PGG Wrightson Seeds site.
Two high producing Canterbury dairy farmers are moving to blended stockfeed supplements fed in-shed for a number of reasons, not the least of which is to boost protein levels, which they can’t achieve through pasture under the region’s nitrogen limit of 190kg/ha.
Buoyed by strong forecasts for milk prices and a renewed demand for dairy assets, the South Island rural real estate market has begun the year with positive momentum, according to Colliers.
The six young cattle breeders participating in the inaugural Holstein Friesian NZ young breeder development programme have completed their first event of the year.
New Zealand feed producers are being encouraged to boost staff training to maintain efficiency and product quality.
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