Why Now Is the Time to Plan Farm Succession, Findex Says
OPINION: Succession and long-term planning are perennial topics because it is perpetually sidelined on busy farms.
Synlait Milk has posted a $12.1 million net profit after tax for the first six months to January 31 this year. The result is an increase of $5.3 million on the result for the same period in 2013.
Revenue increased to $284.9m compared to $176.4m for the same period in 2013, due largely to sustained high international commodity prices.
Synlait Milk Chairman Graeme Milne says gross profit increased to $40m compared to $32.8m for the same period in 2013, due to strong earnings from milk powder and cream products business. "However, this was partially offset by lower than expected earnings from our infant formula and nutritional products business due to regulation changes in China and New Zealand's precautionary recall of WPC80, as well as an expectation that our annual average foreign exchange rate will be higher than applied in the determination of the farm gate milk price."
"This has resulted in the forecast FY2014 net profit after tax to be revised from a range of $30 to $35m to a range of $25 to $30m, but still ahead of the prospectus forecast of $19.8m," says Milne.
However, Synlait Milk managing director Dr John Penno says overall the company is pleased with the development of the business.
"Higher than forecast earnings and strategic positioning continues to reinforce the confidence we have in our future," he says.
"With a favourable product mix and an increasing amount of product sold into value-added applications we expect our milk powder and cream products business to outperform our initial public offer projections in FY2014."
"Despite it being clear that we will not meet our infant formula and nutritional volume targets for this financial year, we remain confident of meeting our long term objectives."
Now in its fourth year, the 2026 Fencing Industry Awards, formed part of the proceedings of the FCANZ Conference, held in Nelson during August.
DairyNZ deputy chair Cameron Henderson has been re-appointed unopposed for another term.
OPINION: The stats speak for themselves.
Farms across the upper North Island are trialling different pasture mixes as part of a research programme that aims to build greater resilience into farming systems.
Election years are always a concerning time for farmers, according to DairyNZ chair Tracy Brown.
The Ballance Farm Environment Awards are coming to the West Coast of the South Island.

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