Ah Tatua, You've Done It Again!
Waikato milk processor Tatua has again declared a record milk payout to farmer shareholders, leaving other processors in the dust.
At last we see Fonterra shareholders asking questions about its supposed watchdog, the shareholders council.
After years of rubber stamping strategy and executive performance now revealed as fairly average, the council has earned a reputation as being more lapdog than watchdog. Concerned shareholders now want answers.
They have put a resolution for the Fonterra annual meeting demanding an independent review of the council, to be completed mid-2020 with any constitutional changes tabled at the 2020 annual meeting.
Crucially, they don’t want another internal whitewash review: they rightly say it must be independent. Milking It has long held doubts about the council’s independence, given it is a proven gateway to plum board positions within the Fonterra network.
Off the back of a $605 million loss this review is a no-brainer. The watchdog has been caught napping on the job.
South of the central Hawke’s Bay town of Waipukurau is Taniwha Station – a highly successful 550ha bull beef farming operation.
Beef + Lamb NZ funded research has shown that some simple changes to pasture management could help farmers make better use of rainfall and build resilience before dry conditions hit.
OPINION: There could hardly be a more appropriate theme for a conference than the one chosen by the red meat sector - Navigating Volatility.
When Northland leather worker Vernon Suckling started making horse saddles 50 years ago, quad bikes and side-by-side vehicles were unheard of.
Alliance Group has confirmed that eligible farmer-shareholders who supply and continue to back the business will receive up to $20 million later this year, following the strategic investment partnership with Dawn Meats.
With a general election under five weeks away, Rural News is asking major political parties about their policies and positions on key issues facing the primary sector. We will run their responses to each question over the next four weeks. The ACT Party and the Greens didn't respond in time.
OPINION: It seems Canterbury processor Synlait is still in the doldrums.
OPINION: Get offside with New Zealand First leader Winston Peters at your own peril.