Fonterra shaves 50c off forecast milk price
Fonterra has dropped its forecast milk price mid-point by 50c as a surge in global milk production is putting downward pressure on commodity prices.
Fonterra Shareholders' Council chairman, Ian Brown, says farmers' take-up of the latest Fonterra Supply Offer shows they are beginning to take advantage of the flexibility Trading Among Farmers (TAF) offers them.
Twenty per cent of Farmers sold close to $600 million worth of the economic rights to their Wet Shares, Brown says.
"The first supply offer saw farmers exercise some understandable caution but with growing confidence in the new system farmers are now ready to use TAF as it was intended.
"The solid level of demand from shareholders to release some of the economic value of their shares shows they are using TAF to their benefit.
"Farmers are taking advantage of the greater flexibility it offers them in making decisions that impact the day-to-day running of their business.
"This also strengthens our cooperative as Fonterra is now able to make better use of our capital rather than, as the recent drought would have compelled it to, distribute it as farmers redeemed their shares."
The Government is set to announce two new acts to replace the contentious Resource Management Act (RMA) with the Prime Minister hinting that consents required by farmers could reduce by 46%.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says withdrawing from the Paris Agreement on climate change would be “a really dumb move”.
The University of Waikato has broken ground on its new medical school building.
Undoubtedly the doyen of rural culture, always with a wry smile, our favourite ginger ninja, Te Radar, in conjunction with his wife Ruth Spencer, has recently released an enchanting, yet educational read centred around rural New Zealand in one hundred objects.
Farmers are being urged to keep on top of measures to control Cysticerus ovis - or sheep measles - following a spike in infection rates.
The avocado industry is facing an extremely challenging season with all parts of the supply chain, especially growers, being warned to prepare for any eventuality.

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