Revamped Fonterra to be ‘more capital-efficient’
Fonterra chair Peter McBride says the divestment of Mainland Group is their last significant asset sale and signals the end of structural changes.
FONTERRA HAS BOUGHT a 6% stake in Australian dairy company Bega Cheese Ltd for AUS$46 million (NZ$52m).
The 9.3 million shares were purchased at Aus$4.95 per share.
Fonterra chief executive Theo Spierings says: "Australia is an important market for Fonterra, and we are committed to growing our already strong presence.
"There has recently been a lot of consolidation activity in the Australian dairy industry. It is important that Fonterra participates, and we have confidence in Bega and the strategy it is pursuing."
Judith Swales, managing director, Fonterra Australia said, "We have a longstanding partnership with Bega, and we look forward to continuing to build on that relationship into the future."
Fonterra currently licenses the Bega brand from Bega and has a substantial supply contract for cheese.
New Zealand needs a new healthcare model to address rising rates of obesity in rural communities, with the current system leaving many patients unable to access effective treatment or long-term support, warn GPs.
Southland farmers are being urged to put safety first, following a spike in tip offs about risky handling of wind-damaged trees
Third-generation Ashburton dairy farmers TJ and Mark Stewart are no strangers to adapting and evolving.
When American retail giant Cosco came to audit Open Country Dairy’s new butter plant at the Waharoa site and give the green light to supply their American stores, they allowed themselves a week for the exercise.
Fonterra chair Peter McBride says the divestment of Mainland Group is their last significant asset sale and signals the end of structural changes.
Thirty years ago, as a young sharemilker, former Waikato farmer Snow Chubb realised he was bucking a trend when he started planting trees to provide shade for his cows, but he knew the animals would appreciate what he was doing.