Suitors line up
OPINION: As Fonterra's divestment of its Oceania and global consumer businesses progresses, clear contenders are emerging.
Agribusiness expert Keith Woodford says within the next five years China could be accepting only A2 milk products.
Speaking at Federated Farmers Dairy conference in Wellington this morning, Woodford, a retired agribusiness professr, says the push for A2 milk won’t come from the Chinese Government but consumers.
He told dairy leaders that A2 milk was the “largest selling milk” in Australian supermarkets.
“I know this because I’m part of the Australian A2 milk story,” he says.
Woodford says he recently spoke to 6500 “medical folks” in Australia about A2 milk.
“The demand for A2 milk is going to increase around the world,” he says.
“You ain’t seen nothing yet”
He says dairy companies around the world had been ignoring A2 milk until recently.
Fonterra announced a strategic partnership with the a2 Milk Company in February this year.
Over the years the co-op had downplayed the importance of A2 milk.
The closure of the McCain processing plant and the recent announcement of 300 job losses at Wattie’s underscore the mounting pressure facing New Zealand’s manufacturing sector, Buy NZ Made says.
Specialist agriculture lender Oxbury has entered the New Zealand market, offering livestock finance to farmers.
New research suggests Aotearoa New Zealand farmers are broadly matching phosphorus fertiliser use to the needs of their soils, helping maintain relatively stable nutrient levels across the country’s agricultural land.
Helensville farmers, Donald and Kirsten Watson of Moreland Pastoral, have been named the Auckland Regional Supreme Winners at the Ballance Farm Environment Awards.
Marc and Megan Lalich were named 2026 Share Farmers of the Year at last night's Canterbury/North Otago Dairy Industry Awards.
William John Poole, a third year Agribusiness student at Massey University, has been awarded the Dr Warren Parker and Pāmu Scholarship.