Misguided campaign
OPINION: Last week, Greenpeace lit up Fonterra's Auckland headquarters with 'messages from the common people' - that the sector is polluting the environment.
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."
Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford says the 2025 Fieldays has been one of more positive he has attended.
A fundraiser dinner held in conjunction with Fieldays raised over $300,000 for the Rural Support Trust.
Recent results from its 2024 financial year has seen global farm machinery player John Deere record a significant slump in the profits of its agricultural division over the last year, with a 64% drop in the last quarter of the year, compared to that of 2023.
An agribusiness, helping to turn a long-standing animal welfare and waste issue into a high-value protein stream for the dairy and red meat sector, has picked up a top innovation award at Fieldays.
The Fieldays Innovation Award winners have been announced with Auckland’s Ruminant Biotech taking out the Prototype Award.
Following twelve years of litigation, a conclusion could be in sight of Waikato’s controversial Plan Change 1 (PC1).