Fonterra slashes forecast milk price, again
Fonterra has slashed another 50c off its milk price forecast as global milk flows shows no sign of easing.
FONTERRA IS "very confident" with its legal position in the Danone case and has budgeted just $11 million, says Lukas Paravicini, chief financial officer.
The $11 million set aside in the Danone law suit is what it views as its legal obligation in the contract, Paravicini said today at the release of its half-year result.
"We are very confident with our legal position and we will defend that position vigorously and at this stage we do not see the need for any further provisions under the legal contractual obligation."
Danone has previously indicated lost sales from precautionary food safety recall of whey protein concentrate supplied by Fonterra cost the company at least $500 million.
Chief executive Theo Spierings said today Fonterra would be happy to have Danone back as a customer.
"Danone is a very key customer, it is very unfortunate we went through the 'event'. There's two parties involved here – two parties with different opinions."
He says they would be open to a commercial discussion with Danone at all times. "But there is a legal situation ... so we are not going to talk about it here right now," he told a press conference at the Auckland's head office.
But on the commercial side they have an approach of "an open line like any customer", he said.
Arable growers worried that some weeds in their crops may have developed herbicide resistance can now get the suspected plants tested for free.
Fruit growers and exporters are worried following the discovery of a male Queensland fruit fly in Auckland this week.
Dairy prices have jumped in the overnight Global Dairy Trade (GDT) auction, breaking a five-month negative streak.
Alliance Group chief executive Willie Wiese is leaving the company after three years in the role.
A booklet produced in 2025 by the Rotoiti 15 trust, Department of Conservation and Scion – now part of the Bioeconomy Science Institute – aims to help people identify insect pests and diseases.
A Taranaki farmer and livestock agent who illegally swapped NAIT tags from cows infected with a bovine disease in an attempt to sell the cows has been fined $15,000.

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