AUSTRALIA’S NATIONAL farmer lobby has welcomed the free trade deal with China – but not everyone is happy.

THE USE by developing countries of highly protectionist policies for their agriculture industries is counter-productive to reducing hunger, claims Professor Peter Warr, director of the Poverty Research Centre in Australia.

CORPORATE FARMER Shanghai Pengxin is not ruling out switching milk supply in the North Island from Fonterra to independent processor Miraka.

DISILLUSIONED FARMERS are looking for an internationally acceptable national organic standard due to a rise in international rules incompatible with the New Zealand farming system.

FONTERRA CHIEF executive Theo Spierings says more work is needed to improve its traceability credentials.

FONTERRA’S INGREDIENTS business is an “aircraft carrier” that allows the co-op to visit global markets efficiently, says chief executive Theo Spierings.

NEW ZEALAND is bowing to international pressure by introducing new milk cooling rules for dairy farmers.

WE’VE ALL heard of Silicon Valley in California. Now China’s biggest dairy company appears to have similarly named the Waitaki Valley.

THE A2 MILK Company (a2MC) believes a lot of its new a2Platinum infant formula could be finding its way from Australia into China on the ‘grey market’ – though regulation changes have hampered its launch of the product there.

‘DISAPPOINTING’ WAS economists’ key word last week as GlobalDairyTrade resumed its slide, falling 3.1% overall with powders plunging 5-6%.