Coutts appointed chair-elect of Mainland Group
Fonterra has named Elizabeth (Liz) Coutts the chair of Mainland Group, the proposed divestment entity of the co-operative’s consumer business.
The result of two probes into the supply of bad sire semen to over 1100 LIC farmer customers will be made public next month.
Following the semen quality issue LIC experienced in October last year, a thorough investigation was done, looking at all operational processes and possible improvements. An independent review was also carried out to look into LIC's response to the issue.
LIC chief executive David Chin says the outcomes of the investigation and independent review are being finalised and will be presented to the board next month.
Following that meeting, all farmer shareholders will be informed of the outcomes and any improvements that will be made to our business as a result, Chin says.
“We thank farmers for their patience and understanding while we work through this.
“We are disappointed as a co-op that we didn't deliver to the high standard farmers expect of us, and we continue to take this situation very seriously,” he says.
The farmer-owned co-operative has already paid out over $2 million to farmers as compensation for supplying some dairy farmers bad sire semen.
Two batches of bad semen were delivered to 1127 farms around the country; semen collected, processed and packed into straws and then sent to farms on October 15th and October 21st failed to pass quality control tests on day three. The straws were used over three days to mate herds and resulted in lower pregnancy rates. Fifteen of the 39 straws collected on October 16th and five of 31 straws collected on October 21st were affected.
Federated Farmers supports a review of the current genetic technology legislation but insists that a farmer’s right to either choose or reject it must be protected.
New Zealand’s top business leaders are urging the US Administration to review “unjustified and discriminatory tariffs” imposed on Kiwi exporters.
New tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump signal an uncertain future, but New Zealand farmers know how to adapt to changing conditions, says Auriga Martin, chief executive of Farm Focus.
A global trade war beckons, which is bad news for a small open economy like New Zealand, warns Mark Smith ASB senior economist.
Carterton's Awakare Farm has long stood as a place where family, tradition and innovation intersect.
Fonterra says the US continues to be an important market for New Zealand dairy and the co-op.
OPINION: At last, a serious effort to better connect farmers and scientists.
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