Ravensdown partners with Footrot Flats to celebrate Kiwi farming heritage
Ravensdown has announced a collaboration with Kiwi icon, Footrot Flats in an effort to bring humour, heart, and connection to the forefront of the farming sector.
Ravensdown has recorded a strong profit for the 2019-20 financial year.
The fertiliser cooperative received a profit before tax, bonus share issue and rebate of $69 million, compared to $52 million in the 2018-19 financial year.
It says it will be returning a total of $68 million to its eligible farmer shareholders.
The co-op says it is confident in its financial strength and cautiously optimistic in the face of uncertainty around Covid-19 and emerging government policy.
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Ravensdown Chairman John Henderson. |
In addition to a previous non-cash bonus share distribution in March of $40 million, including imputation credits and a further rebate of $25 per tonne of fertiliser purchased in 2019-20, Ravensdown says it was able to increase spending on its physical infrastructure to $28 million and repeat its 2018-19 spend on R&D ($5 million).
Reduced inventory and strong cashflows throughout lockdown meant that Ravensdown finished the financial year with no net debt and an operating cashflow of $143 million, versus $31 million in 2018-19.
A firm belief in the agricultural sector has kept the PGG Wrightson business going for 175 years, says chief executive Stephen Guerin.
The country'a largest A&P Show - Canterbury - will be "back where it belongs" this year, running from the Wednesday through Friday of Christchurch's iconic Cup Week, after a two-year experiment of running Thursday to Saturday instead.
Wet autumn weather is posing challenges for aerial topdressing operators and farmers are being urged not to put pressure on pilots to fly in borderline conditions where safety could be at risk.
Now it's signed, make it work.
State farmer Pāmu says a programme it's running to help skilled operators into farm ownership is paying dividends.
Central Otago farmer Bevan McKnight no longer worries about leaving a few Angus cattle behind while mustering on the 13,000ha station he leases.