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 is introducing a new patented global food quality seal – ‘Trusted Goodness’ – for its products as part of its business strategy to add value to milk and maximise returns for its farmers.
From today, a Trusted Goodness quality seal will begin to appear on Fonterra-branded products around the world. In New Zealand it will first appear on 1L and 2L bottles of Anchor fresh milk.
Fonterra’s chief operating officer, global consumer and foodservice Jacqueline Chow, says that market research commissioned by Fonterra shows global consumers are prepared to pay a premium for high quality, safe and healthy food from trusted sources.
“Consumers want to know more about where their food comes from and that it is produced by businesses using sustainable and ethical practices. Consumers are actively seeking out products they can trust to feed their families and that come with these benefits.
“Fonterra’s farmers have invested more than $1 billion into environmental initiatives over the last five years. They’ve fenced 97 per cent of defined waterways on their farms, developed nitrogen management systems to reduce leaching, and spent more than $8 million on research into emissions reducing technologies.
“All of their good work on-farm, combined with New Zealand’s natural, grass-fed advantage, the cooperative’s focus on traceability, food safety and quality supported by Fonterra’s farmers and employees has helped to build credibility behind the Trusted Goodness™ seal,” says Chow.
Outside of New Zealand, the quality seal will initially feature on packs of Fonterra-branded products in the US, China and Malaysia as part of a global roll-out over the coming months. It is expected to appear on the vast majority of Fonterra products over the coming years.
“Our purpose is to be the world’s most trusted source of dairy nutrition. Trusted Goodness™ will help to tell our New Zealand quality story and access more value for our farmer shareholders,” Chow says.
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.
The head of Massey University's School of Agriculture and the Environment, Professor Paul Kenyon, says the outlook for the primary sector is positive with record numbers of students enrolling for Massey's range of undergraduate courses in the primary sector.
Palmerston North mayor Grant Smith is a long-time supporter of the CD field days and says the benefits from it flow into his city.