Government appoints three new directors to Pāmu board
The Government has appointed three new members to the board of state farmer Landcorp Farming Ltd, trading as Pāmu.
A programme of improvements on the Crafar farms will begin as soon Chinese company Shanghai Pengxin can settle on the properties.
The company says it is pleased with the Court of Appeal ruling in its favour and, with Landcorp, looks forward to beginning the improvements.
Shanghai Pengxin says the farms will be bought in the name of its subsidiary Milk New Zealand Holding Ltd and run by Milk New Zealand Farm Management Ltd, a joint venture with Landcorp Farming Ltd, which will honour all current arrangements made by the receiver with sharemilkers and staff.
"Our immediate priority is to begin the process of improving the farms, increasing production, and making sure we comply with all of the conditions imposed by the Overseas Investment Office," says a statement issued by Shanghai-Pengxin.
"We look forward to becoming part of our local communities and we will set up a local team to explore opportunities to add value to New Zealand milk through further processing by New Zealand companies and the sale of high-value dairy based products to China under the Pure 100 and Nature Pure brands."
Shanghai Pengxin thanked the many individual Kiwis and organisations who welcomed, encouraged and worked with them to help make their vision a reality.
"We believe there will be strong benefits to New Zealand as a result of us proceeding with our business plans, and we look forward to making a contribution to New Zealand's dairy industry and strengthening the relationship between our countries," it says.
"We will make further announcements in due course."
Legal controls on the movement of fruits and vegetables are now in place in Auckland’s Mt Roskill suburb, says Biosecurity New Zealand Commissioner North Mike Inglis.
Arable growers worried that some weeds in their crops may have developed herbicide resistance can now get the suspected plants tested for free.
Fruit growers and exporters are worried following the discovery of a male Queensland fruit fly in Auckland this week.
Dairy prices have jumped in the overnight Global Dairy Trade (GDT) auction, breaking a five-month negative streak.
Alliance Group chief executive Willie Wiese is leaving the company after three years in the role.
A booklet produced in 2025 by the Rotoiti 15 trust, Department of Conservation and Scion – now part of the Bioeconomy Science Institute – aims to help people identify insect pests and diseases.

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