Top wool advocate bales out
The conversion of productive farmland into trees has pretty much annihilated the wool industry.
The opportunity for high-quality wool carpets in the world beyond New Zealand and Australia is massive, says Cavalier Corporation chief executive Paul Alston.
Cavalier announced last week it is revamping its export focus to significantly grow its business internationally beyond its traditional markets in NZ and Australia.
“We do sell at the moment into the US, Canada, the UK and Europe and a bit into Asia. It is only a small part of our business but we are looking to have more focus in that area, particularly more products, and we are just making plans about how we do that,” Alston explained to Rural News.
“The world is a big place and... how we target that market is in the early stages of planning. But we will move forward as quickly as we can now the company is on the right trajectory.”
International sales functions beyond the Australian market will be returned to NZ, Alston says. An experienced salesperson who was the company’s general manager international based in Australia is doing the rest of the world role. That function is being returned to NZ.
“Coming back to NZ there is a refocus; we are doing research and will be targeting the rest of the world in what we see is an area of growth.”
They are looking to “potentially change the way we do things”.
Cavalier in February reported first-half net profit of $1 million in the six months ending December 31 following restructuring and plant rationalisation. This followed a loss of $2.1m in the financial year to June 30 2017.
The National Wild Goat Hunting Competition has removed 33,418 wild goats over the past three years.
New Zealand needs a new healthcare model to address rising rates of obesity in rural communities, with the current system leaving many patients unable to access effective treatment or long-term support, warn GPs.
Southland farmers are being urged to put safety first, following a spike in tip offs about risky handling of wind-damaged trees
Third-generation Ashburton dairy farmers TJ and Mark Stewart are no strangers to adapting and evolving.
When American retail giant Cosco came to audit Open Country Dairy’s new butter plant at the Waharoa site and give the green light to supply their American stores, they allowed themselves a week for the exercise.
Fonterra chair Peter McBride says the divestment of Mainland Group is their last significant asset sale and signals the end of structural changes.

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