Editorial: United strategy for wool
OPINION: Wool farmers believe the future of strong wool still holds promise.
The board of rural trader PGG Wrightson Limited has agreed to call a special meeting demanded by its largest shareholder.
In a NZX filing yesterday afternoon, PGW says it will issue a notice of meeting at the relevant time together with appropriate information for shareholders about the matters to be addressed at the meeting.
Agria Singapore, which holds a 44% stake in PGW, is seeking a special shareholders meeting where it wants to overhaul the PGW board – removing directors Garry Moore, Sarah Brown and Charlotte Severne. It is proposing to appoint former PGW chairman Alan Lai, Wilson Liu, Vena Crawley and Traci Houpapa as new directors.
PGW says following receipt of the notice on the afternoon of 8 February 2024 PGW promptly sought to engage with Agria in relation to the matters outlined in the notice and sought advice from its external lawyers, Chapman Tripp.
“The PGW board convened on 12 February and 13 February to discuss the notice and has continued to liaise with Agria to explore whether Agria would withdraw the request to enable a more constructive board transition to take place.
“Following further dialogue today, Agria has this afternoon confirmed that it will not withdraw the notice requesting that a special shareholders meeting be convened and accordingly PGW is preparing for a shareholders meeting.”
Lai, founder of Agria Corporation, stepped down from the PGW board in 2018, following investigation for alleged securities law breaches in Singapore.
According to the latest Federated Farmers banking survey, farmers are more satisfied with their bank and less under pressure, however, the sector is well short of confidence levels seen last decade.
Farmer confidence has taken a slight dip according to the final Rabobank rural confidence survey for the year.
Former Agriculture Minister and Otaki farmer Nathan Guy has been appointed New Zealand’s Special Agricultural Trade Envoy (SATE).
Alliance Group has commissioned a new heat pump system at its Mataura processing plant in Southland.
Fonterra has slashed another 50c off its milk price forecast as global milk flows shows no sign of easing.
Meat processors are hopeful that the additional 15% tariff on lamb exports to the US will also come off.

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