Misguided campaign
OPINION: Last week, Greenpeace lit up Fonterra's Auckland headquarters with 'messages from the common people' - that the sector is polluting the environment.
Fonterra says milk collections are disrupted in Northland and the top of the South Island due to flooding.
Charles Fergusson, Fonterra Regional Head Canterbury Tasman and Marlborough, told Rural News that the co-operative is “pulling all the stops to collect the milk where we can, but it’s really important that people stay safe right now”.
Ongoing road closures mean milk collections continue to be impacted across the region, but Ferguson says tankers are reaching farms as roads open and it is safe to do so.
“While this isn’t the busiest time of year for milk collections, farmers are in the midst of calving – which is really tough with so much water on the ground,” he says.
“We’ll be looking to assess how we can support farmers as the water recedes.”
Fonterra’s Tākaka and Brightwater sites are still processing milk, but some tankers have been diverted to Darfield.
![]() |
---|
Road closures in the region have impacted milk collections across the region. |
Rai Valley Farm Source Store closed yesterday as water levels rose, but doors opened again this morning.
Fonterra’s regional head Northland Mike Borrie says milk collections are still being disrupted by flooding in the Far North.
“The team is closely monitoring road access and will work to get tankers to farms as soon as possible,” he told Rural News.
On the eve of his departure from Federated Farmers board, Richard McIntyre is thanking farmers for their support and words of encouragement during his stint as a farmer advocate.
A project reducing strains and sprains on farm has won the Innovation category in the New Zealand Workplace Health and Safety Awards 2025.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ), in partnership with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and other sector organisations, has launched a national survey to understand better the impact of facial eczema (FE) on farmers.
One of New Zealand's latest and largest agrivoltaics farm Te Herenga o Te Rā is delivering clean renewable energy while preserving the land's agricultural value for sheep grazing under the modules.
Global food company Nestle’s chair Paul Bulcke will step down at its next annual meeting in April 2026.
Brendan Attrill of Caiseal Trust in Taranaki has been announced as the 2025 National Ambassador for Sustainable Farming and Growing and recipient of the Gordon Stephenson Trophy at the National Sustainability Showcase at in Wellington this evening.
OPINION: ACT MP Mark Cameron isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but he certainly calls it how he sees it, holding…
OPINION: Did former PM Jacinda Ardern get fawning reviews for her book?