Fonterra Whareroa sets cheese record, wins top award
Fonterra Whareroa wrapped up a successful season with a record-breaking cheese production volume and several gongs at the co-op's annual Best Site Cup awards.
Fonterra chairman John Wilson says he is unhappy about Fonterra coming third in the payout stakes among other New Zealand processors.
Fonterra was beaten by Tatua and Westland Milk in the 2014-15 season.
Wilson told Fonterra's annual meeting yesterday that he was "a reasonably competitive person".
"And while there are some exceptional achievements within your co-op over the past year, the reality is we did come third in the co-op payout stakes, and on the odd occasion we did not do a good enough job of communicating a clear message to you," he says.
"I can assure you that I don't like this any more than you do. Your co-op is in good shape, with investments delivering increased value for your milk faster, and solutions being provided more than ever, to you and me as farmers.
"But we still have work to do before we achieve the high expectations we all have for our co-op."
Questions are being raised about just how good the state of the dairy industry is - especially given that the average farmgate payout for the coming season is set to exceed $10/kgMS.
A leading financial and banking advisor says he doubts if most dairy farmers fully understand the dynamics of banking.
Dairy farmers are shoring up their balance sheets, with almost $1.7 billion of debt repaid in the six months to March 2025.
Virtual fencing company Halter is going global but for founder Craig Piggott, New Zealand farmers will always remain their main partners.
A former Fonterra executive is the new chair of the Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand (DCANZ).
New Federated Farmers national dairy chair Karl Dean is looking forward to tackling the issues facing the sector.
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