Fonterra Suppliers Confident in Mainland Dairy Future
Fonterra's 460 milk suppliers in Australia, who will switch to Lactalis end of this month, are unfazed with the impending change.
Fonterra is combining its Australian New Zealand (ANZ) and ASEAN/Middle East/North Africa businesses to form a single Asia Pacific/Middle East/Africa (APMEA) business unit.
A change to its senior management team arises from this reorganisation of its consumer businesses across the Asia Pacific region.
The managing director APMEA will be Mark Wilson, Fonterra's existing managing director ASEAN/MENA. The appointment takes effect in January.
After six years of working in Melbourne away from his Sydney based family, Fonterra's managing director ANZ, John Doumani, has indicated that he will take the opportunity to leave the cooperative and pursue opportunities outside Fonterra. He will assist in the transition period and will leave at the end of March next year.
Fonterra chief executive Theo Spierings says the move was part of the cooperative's strategy to grow its consumer businesses: "Our businesses across Asia Pacific represent around 40% of our earnings and are vital to the cooperative. There are big growth opportunities in the emerging markets of Asia and Middle East, and some challenges to address in our home markets of Australia and New Zealand and our strategy requires us to address both.
"Mark Wilson is a very experienced global business leader who has grown our Asian business from strength to strength and we know he will do a great job in this expanded new role."
New Zealand's dairy and beef industries say they welcome the announcement that the Government will invest $10.49 million in the Dairy Beef Opportunities (DBO) programme.
New Zealand farming is riding a high, with strong prices, full feed covers and improving confidence lining up at the same time.
Manawatu Mayor Michael Ford says the district sees itself as the agribusiness capital of the lower North Island.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) is looking forward to connecting with farmers, rural professionals and community members at this year's Central District Field Days.
Labour Party Leader Chris Hipkins has announced a reshuffle of the party's caucus portfolios.
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says a series of rural resilienced set to be rolled out next week will help farmers and growers better prepared for adverse weather events.

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