AN AGRIBUSINESS academic says Fonterra’s 2013-14 payout was unfair to sharemilkers and unshared suppliers as it ‘dipped’ the milk price to fund dividend-driving assets such Waitoa’s UHT plant and more milk hubs in China.

MEAT CO-OP Alliance Group has reported a pre-tax profit of $17.6 million for 2013-14.

A STEADY stream of  containers loaded with UHT milk are leaving the Miraka dairy factory near Taupo headed for the China market. Miraka is contracted by the Chinese dairy giant Shanghai Pengxin to produce the UHT milk in 250ml branded packs for Chinese consumers.

FONTERRA IS offering winter milk contracts in Waikato to keep its new $120m UHT plant in year-round production. The plant at Waitoa has eight lines and can produce 28 packets of UHT milk and cream per second; it needs 100m L of milk every year.

MEET PETER Moore, newly appointed general manager PGG Wrightson Livestock.

WE ALL know China makes some crap. But we also know China makes quality items – Apple i-Phones, supertankers, Red Bands and Swandris, to name a few. The trick is knowing which is which.

EVERY SEPTEMBER the 87 shareholders of Waikato dairy processor Tatua receive a call from one of their six farmer-elected directors.

Pineapple-flavoured milk and cream are two of the products being churned out by Fonterra's new $120 million UHT milk processing site at Waitoa in the Waikato.

Federated Farmers chief executive Graham Smith last week spoke at the Future Farms Conference in Wellington. Here are excerpts from his speech.

THE SEASONALLY adjusted value of exported goods fell 3%, to $12 billion, in the September 2014 quarter, Statistics New Zealand says.Imports rose 3.7% to $13 billion.