Winston Peters calls Fonterra vote result 'utter madness'
New Zealand First leader and Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has blasted Fonterra farmers shareholders for approving the sale of iconic brands to a French company.
FONTERRA HOPES to be collecting 30 billion litres of milk worldwide by 2025, says chief executive Theo Spierings.
Addressing the co-op’s annual meeting in Palmerston North last week, Spierings referred to six global milk pools – three in the southern hemisphere (New Zealand, Australia, South America) and three in the north (Europe, North America, China).
Spierings defends the concept of expanding global milk pools. “Milk pools gives us access to safe, quality milk and we need extra milk to stay relevant.”
He stressed that all milk pools will deliver quality milk. “The same standards apply in all milk pools as in New Zealand.”
When Fonterra was formed 12 years ago it processed 13 billion litres of milk in New Zealand; today, it picks up 21b L in New Zealand, Australia, Chile and China.
Spierings says Fonterra’s ambition is to pick up 30b L by 2025; more milk will come from pools in Europe and China.
Most of the extra milk will be turned into products for China; the Australian milk pool will process cheese, whey and infant formula and Europe will turn its milk into whey for China.
Spierings says the milk collected from Fonterra farms in China will be turned into UHT products and food service ingredients for the domestic market.
New Zealand milk products will go mostly to China, Middle East and Africa.
Acclaimed fruit grower Dean Astill never imagined he would have achieved so much in the years since being named the first Young Horticulturist of the Year, 20 years ago.
The Ashburton-based Carrfields Group continues to show commitment to future growth and in the agricultural sector with its latest investment, the recently acquired 'Spring Farm' adjacent to State Highway 1, Winslow, just south of Ashburton.
New Zealand First leader and Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has blasted Fonterra farmers shareholders for approving the sale of iconic brands to a French company.
A major feature of the Ashburton A&P Show, to be held on October 31 and November 1, will be the annual trans-Tasman Sheep Dog Trial test match, with the best heading dogs from both sides of the Tasman going head-to-head in two teams of four.
Fewer bobby calves are heading to the works this season, as more dairy farmers recognise the value of rearing calves for beef.
The key to a dairy system that generates high profit with a low emissions intensity is using low footprint feed, says Fonterra program manager on-farm excellence, Louise Cook.

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