China will soon have 200 million people with chronic illnesses and it will demand food with health benefits, said Paul McDonald, pro vice-chancellor at Massey College of Health.

MIE chairman Peter McDonald says the Silver Fern Farm (SFF) deal may be the last decision of significance that shareholders get to vote on.

Australian dairy farmers are doing their bit to get the free trade deal with China over the final hurdle.

Better dairy trade between key economies by tariff elimination would reduce volatility in global dairy prices, says Fonterra chairman John Wilson.

Global Dairy Trade prices are coming back relatively quickly and Fonterra expects whole milk powder prices to keep climbing over the next six months, says Fonterra chairman John Wilson.

New Zealand Wool Services International CEO John Dawson says the strengthened New Zealand dollar has negatively impacted at this week's South Island sale with most types easing in local terms.

Dean Hamilton, SFF chief executive says the Shanghai Maling transaction has significant financial upside compared to the sketchy details in the mystery underwrite proposal put forward, with little real detail, by shareholder John Cochrane.

The recent media statements from shareholder John Cochrane are "a total unknown and should be treated with extreme caution" says Silver Fern Farms.

It would be fair to say the Avatar is a new name to the global market for UTV's, but that could be about to change.

As Australian politicians haggle over endorsing a free trade agreement with China, farmers are warning that failure to ratify the deal will cost them up to A$18 billion over 10 years.