Scholarships for emerging talent
83 students from the Massey University School of Agriculture and Environment were awarded close to $400,000 in scholarships at a recent awards evening.
Alliance Group has launched a new $16 million warehouse technology system at its Lorneville plant near Invercargill.
The fully integrated storage and warehouse management system for frozen products introduces automation to the warehousing process, using automated shuttle vehicles rather than manual lifting for the storage and retrieval of product.
Product is then automatically moved through the warehouse and palletised without being touched by human hands.
Wayne Shaw, general manager processing and safety, Alliance Group, says the technology has improved the health and safety of employees, unlocked advantages of scale and lifted the efficiency and competitiveness of the plant.
“Previously more than 60 people were required to work in the warehousing operation during peak processing, manually handling boxes of fresh product, each weighing around 22kg,” Shaw says.
He says that lifting poses a risk of muscular skeletal injury to Alliance’s employees.
“The system also includes a more effective stacking system for frozen boxes, minimising product damage and potential safety risks,” Shaw adds. “It has enabled improved handling of cartons and product and reduced the use of forklifts.”
Shaw says the investment in the system reflects the co-operative’s commitment to both the Lorneville site and the wider Southland region.
“We have been continually investing in Lorneville over the past five years including the opening of a new venison plant and the installation of primal cutters for processing,” he says.
No job losses have occurred as a result of the project, with existing staff re-deployed.
The recent Tractor and Machinery Association (TAMA) conference in Wellington was signalling cautious optimism on the back of rising milk and store cattle prices and drops in interest rates.
The future of Fonterra is assured, so long as farmer owners stay engaged in the governance of the industry and the business they collectively own.
83 students from the Massey University School of Agriculture and Environment were awarded close to $400,000 in scholarships at a recent awards evening.
Zespri, in collaboration with ANL/CMA CGM, has initiated a feasibility study to investigate the potential for a low-emissions shipping corridor from Tauranga to Zeebrugge, Belgium, through the Panama Canal.
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