Michelle Pye elected to Fonterra board
Canterbury farmer Michelle Pye has been elected to Fonterra’s board for a three-year term.
Fonterra has confirmed all staff members at its Edendale milk processing plant are safe following the collapse of a raw milk silo on Friday afternoon.
“Our teams were able to quickly confirm that all of our people were accounted for, which is always our first priority in any unexpected event,” says Robert Spurway, COO of Global Operations.
The silo is one of about 100 silos on site, representing less than 10% of Edendale’s total capacity for raw milk storage. While the cause of the incident is not yet known, Spurway confirmed there was no explosion.
He says the silo appeared to have failed and the subsequent collapse damaged a nearby pipebridge, creating the loud noise heard by those in the vicinity.
“Whilst some of the damage may take several weeks to repair, the situation is under control and we are now working to get the plant back up and running as normal,” says Spurway.
Fonterra says there could be some temporary impact on milk collection in the Southland region, and will keep impacted farmers informed.
Virtual fencing and herding systems supplier, Halter is welcoming a decision by the Victorian Government to allow farmers in the state to use the technology.
DairyNZ’s latest Econ Tracker update shows most farms will still finish the season in a positive position, although the gap has narrowed compared with early season expectations.
New Zealand’s national lamb crop for the 2025–26 season is estimated at 19.66 million head, a lift of one percent (or 188,000 more lambs) on last season, according to Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s (B+LNZ) latest Lamb Crop report.
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Fonterra's Eltham site in Taranaki is stepping up its global impact with an upgrade to its processed cheese production lines, boosting capacity to meet growing international demand.