Fonterra shaves 50c off forecast milk price
Fonterra has dropped its forecast milk price mid-point by 50c as a surge in global milk production is putting downward pressure on commodity prices.
The Fonterra Shareholders Council has given its approval to TAF (trading among farmers), paving the way for Fonterra board to launch the share trading scheme.
For Fonterra to move forward with TAF, the board had to be satisfied that five preconditions were met. The fifth TAF precondition was the support of at least 50% of the Shareholders Council.
Council chair, Ian Brown says there was 97% support for the resolution and this reflected the confidence the Council had in the new capital structure.
"The council's support for the preconditions, which are underpinned by 100% farmer ownership and control, signal that they have reached the standards set by the council on behalf of our farmer shareholders."
Brown says the council has undertaken a robust and fully independent two-year review process to ensure farmers' interests were paramount in the construction and design of TAF.
"From the outset the council viewed 100% farmer shareholder ownership and control as a non-negotiable and that any change to the capital structure had to be an enduring one.
"To ensure this was the case the council engaged the services of a number of external advisors who worked to review all aspects of TAF from a farmers' perspective. We are confident that the protections contained within TAF will preserve 100% farmer shareholder ownership and control and that the TAF model before us will provide the cooperative with stability for years to come."
Three New Zealand agritech companies are set to join forces to help unlock the full potential of technology.
As the sector heads into the traditional peak period for injuries and fatalities, farmers are being urged to "take a moment".
Federated Farmers says almost 2000 farmers have signed a petition launched this month to urge the Government to step in and provide certainty while the badly broken resource consent system is fixed.
Zespri’s counter-seasonal Zespri Global Supply (ZGS) programme is underway with approximately 33 million trays, or 118,800 tonnes, expected this year from orchards throughout France, Italy, Greece, Korea, and Japan.
Animal owners can help protect life-saving antibiotics from resistant bacteria by keeping their animals healthy, says the New Zealand Veterinary Association.
According to analysis by the Meat Industry Association (MIA), New Zealand red meat exports reached $827 million in October, a 27% increase on the same period last year.

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