Buttery prize
OPINION: Westland Milk may have won the contract to supply butter to Costco NZ but Open Country Dairy is having the last laugh when it comes to cashing in on NZ grass-fed butter.
Westland Dairy Company chief executive Toni Brendish will step down on Friday.
She will be replaced by Shiqing Jian, resident director for Westland and Oceania Dairy.
Her decision comes a year after Westland was acquired by Chinese company, Yili.
Westland says Brendish’s decision is the result of her reflecting on her personal goals for the next five years.
“It has been a privilege and a delight to lead Westland over the past four years,” said Brendish.
“It has taken an enormous amount of work to move Westland towards profitability but I am confident that Westland is now in a position to achieve this. I will continue to watch Westland’s journey closely and know that Westland’s dedicated and innovative staff will continue to keep pushing Westland forward.’’
Jian said Brendish had been CEO of Westland during its most difficult years.
“Repositioning Westland away from an historical commodities producer to a modern company with hugely successful branded products such as Westgold as well as segregated milk products among other key innovations has ensured that Westland will continue to be part of the New Zealand dairy industry for the next generation,’’ said Jian.
“Yili is grateful to Toni for her stewardship of Westland over the past 12 months as we transitioned to Yili ownership. We wish Toni all the best for her future endeavours.’’
Jian said demand for Westland and Oceania’s products is continuing to rise internationally, demonstrating the value that global consumers place on New Zealand dairy goods.
“We are convinced that the future for the dairy industry in New Zealand is a very bright one indeed,’’ said Jian.
Phoebe Scherer, a technical manager from the Bay of Plenty, has won the 2025 Young Grower of the Year national title.
The Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand (FCANZ) celebrated the best of the best at the 2025 Fencing Industry Awards, providing the opportunity to honour both rising talent and industry stalwarts.
Award-winning boutique cheese company, Cranky Goat Ltd has gone into voluntary liquidation.
As an independent review of the National Pest Management Plan for TB finds the goal of complete eradication by 2055 is still valide, feedback is being sought on how to finish the job.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand has launched an AI-powered digital assistant to help farmers using the B+LNZ Knowledge Hub to create tailored answers and resources for their farming businesses.
A tiny organism from the arid mountains of mainland Greece is facilitating a new way of growing healthier animals on farms across New Zealand.
OPINION: Westland Milk may have won the contract to supply butter to Costco NZ but Open Country Dairy is having…
OPINION: The Gene Technology Bill has divided the farming community with strong arguments on both the pros and cons of…