Synlait CEO Resignation Highlights Deeper Challenges Facing Dairy Processor
A revolving door of chief executives at milk processor Synlait is a warning sign, says Lincon University senior lecturer in agribusiness Nic Lees.
Synlait Milk has received MPI approval of its risk management programme at its dry blending and consumer packaging plant.
The approval enables Synlait Milk to now pack and export retail-ready product from its manufacturing site, having met the New Zealand food safety requirements of the Animal Products Act 1999.
The only exception is for exports of finished infant formula to China. Documentation required to support Synlait Milk's application for registration as an exporter of finished infant formula to China was sent to the Chinese regulatory body today by MPI.
Synlait managing director John Penno says it's a major milestone towards meeting customer demand for total product integrity from grass to glass.
"Today is an important day for our business. We now have an integrated facility on one site that gives us full manufacturing control and delivers on the needs of consumers looking for nutritious and safe food," says Penno.
"The packaging plant provides further support for our value added strategy of supplying high quality finished infant formula and nutritional products to our customers.
"We look forward with confidence to working with authorities in New Zealand and China to achieve registration as soon as possible."
The sophisticated packaging plant was built in nine months at a cost of $28.5 million and is the only one of its kind in the South Island, New Zealand. It has a processing capacity of 30,000 metric tonnes per annum, or around 33 million 900 gram cans of powder.
For the third season in a row, Fonterra farmers are in for a farmgate milk price near $10/kgMS.
The chief executive of Apples and Pears New Zealand, Danielle Adsett, says fruit quality this year is phenomenal and the sector is hitting crop estimates, which is great for growers.
Centre right parties are backing policy positions pushed by three farmer lobby groups ahead of the general election.
Waikato agribusiness leader Geoff Maber has been appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) in the 2026 King's Birthday Honours.
Potatoes New Zealand and Garden to Table have partnered together to celebrate a versatile vegetable and the people behind it.
Mainland Poultry has confirmed new ownership of its vertically integrated agribusiness with Pacific Equity Partners Gateway (PEP Gateway) now joining current shareholders Navis.

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