Fonterra Suppliers Confident in Mainland Dairy Future
Fonterra's 460 milk suppliers in Australia, who will switch to Lactalis end of this month, are unfazed with the impending change.
Fonterra-owned Tip Top Ice Cream has taken out supreme award at the 2012 New Zealand ice cream awards.
In the large manufacturer category, this year's supreme award has gone to Tip Top's French vanilla ice cream.
This ice cream was best in category for standard vanilla ice cream and judges described it as true to type with good colour and matching flavour.
The Supreme Award for a boutique manufacturer this year was awarded to the Takapuna Beach Cafe and Store for an entry in the gelato category.
It's winning salted caramel gelato impressed judges. They said its ability to balance the sweet flavour of caramel with just enough sea salt to enhance the overall combination of flavours in this gelato. Takapuna Beach Cafe and Store also won the supreme award last year for their coconut & lime curd gelato.
The awards received a record 285 entries that kept the five judges engaged for a full two days judging. There was also a record number of 37 entrants compared to 31 last year.
The individual categories which attracted the largest number of entries were premium ice cream with 55 entries, gelato with 56 entries and sorbet with 50 entries.
The awards were announced at a gala dinner in Napier last night.
New Zealand's dairy and beef industries say they welcome the announcement that the Government will invest $10.49 million in the Dairy Beef Opportunities (DBO) programme.
New Zealand farming is riding a high, with strong prices, full feed covers and improving confidence lining up at the same time.
Manawatu Mayor Michael Ford says the district sees itself as the agribusiness capital of the lower North Island.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) is looking forward to connecting with farmers, rural professionals and community members at this year's Central District Field Days.
Labour Party Leader Chris Hipkins has announced a reshuffle of the party's caucus portfolios.
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says a series of rural resilienced set to be rolled out next week will help farmers and growers better prepared for adverse weather events.