Misguided campaign
OPINION: Last week, Greenpeace lit up Fonterra's Auckland headquarters with 'messages from the common people' - that the sector is polluting the environment.
Fonterra has appointed a new director.
Simon Israel replaces appointed director Ralph Waters, who has retired. Israel, a Singaporean, has exceptional governance, consumer and wider Asian business experience.
He is based in Singapore and has worked in Asia for many years. He has significant business credentials in Asia and in consumer and investment businesses.
Israel will bring to the board invaluable knowledge and insights as Fonterra pursues its business strategy, particularly with its emphasis on emerging markets, says Fonterra chairman John Wilson.
Israel is currently chairman of Singapore Telecommunications and a director of Capitaland, one of Asia's largest real estate companies with core markets in Singapore and China. He was an executive director at Temasek Holdings for six years, and from 2010-2011 was executive director and president.
Wilson paid tribute to Waters.
"During his six and half years on the Fonterra board, Ralph made a very significant contribution to the cooperative.
"Ralph had agreed to remain on the Fonterra Board through the implementation of Trading Among Farmers to ensure stability, despite his other significant commitments, and we owe him a debt of gratitude for that.
"His vast experience as both a chief executive and director meant he brought valuable experience and knowledge to our board. "
Waters will be stepping down immediately. Israel will join the board from May 1.
Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford says the 2025 Fieldays has been one of more positive he has attended.
A fundraiser dinner held in conjunction with Fieldays raised over $300,000 for the Rural Support Trust.
Recent results from its 2024 financial year has seen global farm machinery player John Deere record a significant slump in the profits of its agricultural division over the last year, with a 64% drop in the last quarter of the year, compared to that of 2023.
An agribusiness, helping to turn a long-standing animal welfare and waste issue into a high-value protein stream for the dairy and red meat sector, has picked up a top innovation award at Fieldays.
The Fieldays Innovation Award winners have been announced with Auckland’s Ruminant Biotech taking out the Prototype Award.
Following twelve years of litigation, a conclusion could be in sight of Waikato’s controversial Plan Change 1 (PC1).
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