THE WORLD’S largest milk powder drier, at Fonterra’s Darfield site in Canterbury, started production last month.

AS WIDELY reported, the combination of lower milk prices, higher input prices and adverse seasonal conditions meant that the total production volume for 2012-13 finished down 2.9% on the prior season. 

DAIRY FARMERS have been on a rollercoaster of late – especially given the daily misfortunes of Fonterra and its botulism debacle. To see their industry ‘in lights’ in the international media, and being described as less than perfect, has been distressing.

Fonterra's second farming hub in China will be located at Ying County, Shanxi Province and  it is looking to secure strategic partners in the development.

The Dalrymple brothers, Hew and Roger, farming just out of Bulls, have a second pair of eyes looking over their property.  Actually the word is ‘i’ – as in smartphone technology. Peter Burke reports on the technology in use and the savings that result.

Zespri, the world's premium kiwifruit marketer, has been recognised for the quality of its marketing programmes across Asia at the inaugural Asia Fruit Awards presented in Hong Kong this week.

NOW THAT the hype over the Fonterra whey contamination has died down and the mainstream media have flown off to another ‘dramatic event’, we begin the serious business of finding out exactly what happened at Hautapu and within Fonterra.

The world's largest milk powder drier at Fonterra's Darfield site kicked into gear last week.

Fonterra chairman John Wilson and chief executive Theo Spierings will lead a board of directors' visit to China next week to meet with Fonterra management and key stakeholders.

COLLABORATION AND consolidation will be the key to horticulture growing from a $3.5 billion industry today to its targeted aim of $10 billion per annum by 2020.