Alex Turnbull Appointed CEO of Yili Oceania Division
Former Fonterra executive Alex Turnbull has been appointed CEO to lead all five Yili Oceania Business Division companies in New Zealand.
Images of Graeme McNabb’s farm on the West Coast will soon be hitting supermarket shelves around the world.
The farm, which supplies milk to Westland Milk Products will be a feature of Westgold Butter’s new packaging, designed to catch the eye of consumers around the world.
McNabb says it was exciting to get the call from Westgold staff recently to say the photos taken on the farm about 18 months ago will soon be on their product packaging.
Westgold is changing its packaging, across all products, to build consumer awareness of the brand, as well as differentiating Westgold from other brands, and to showcase its quality, both locally and in international markets.
With its lush green pastures backdropped by bush and the majestic Southern Alps, Graeme McNabb and Rachael Anderson’s 213ha dairy farm is at the end of the road in the Kowhitirangi Valley inland from Hokitika. The picturesque property is where some of the first dairy farms were established on the West Coast because of its flat, fertile land and reliable rainfall.
“Not only is it a lovely part of the country as far as its scenery goes, but we grow great grass here year-round which in turn produces excellent milk,” says McNabb, who moved to the West Coast property five years ago after running a dry stock farm in Canterbury.
“The West Coast is a great place to both farm and live. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
Hamish Yates, Westland’s general manager sales and marketing, says the new look packaging follows two years of research to better understand consumers’ purchase drivers and the trends in food consumption.
The design aligns with Westgold's brand story and reflects its home, Te Tai Poutini, the West Coast of the South Island.
“We believe our home and where we source our milk from is a key driver for our intense flavours and great quality,” says Yates.
New Zealand farming is riding a high, with strong prices, full feed covers and improving confidence lining up at the same time.
Manawatu Mayor Michael Ford says the district sees itself as the agribusiness capital of the lower North Island.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) is looking forward to connecting with farmers, rural professionals and community members at this year's Central District Field Days.
Labour Party Leader Chris Hipkins has announced a reshuffle of the party's caucus portfolios.
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says a series of rural resilienced set to be rolled out next week will help farmers and growers better prepared for adverse weather events.
The head of Massey University's School of Agriculture and the Environment, Professor Paul Kenyon, says the outlook for the primary sector is positive with record numbers of students enrolling for Massey's range of undergraduate courses in the primary sector.

OPINION: Election years are usually regarded as the silly season, but a mate of the Hound reckons 2026 is shaping…
OPINION: If farmers poured just a few litres of some pollutant into a stream, the Green Party and the wider…