Open Country opens butter plant
When American retail giant Cosco came to audit Open Country Dairy’s new butter plant at the Waharoa site and give the green light to supply their American stores, they allowed themselves a week for the exercise.
Fonterra Shareholders Council chairman, Ian Brown has been re-elected unopposed for a third term.
Brown is looking forward to leading the council for another 12 months. "I appreciate the support I continue to receive from councillors," he says.
The council has a new deputy chair; Duncan Coull was also elected unopposed and takes up his new role on July 29 for a 12 month term.
Coull was elected to the council in 2010 to represent the Otorohanga ward; he also serves as the chair of the council's representation committee.
He replaces Philip Palmer who is stepping down from the role after two terms.
Brown praised Palmer's contribution as deputy chair.
"Philip's support was incredibly valuable during what was a pivotal two years for the council and our cooperative and I thank him for his hard work and dedication.
"I now look forward to working with Duncan and am confident he will do a great job for the council as we continue to work to improve Fonterra farmers' returns through effective monitoring and strong representation."
New Zealand needs a new healthcare model to address rising rates of obesity in rural communities, with the current system leaving many patients unable to access effective treatment or long-term support, warn GPs.
Southland farmers are being urged to put safety first, following a spike in tip offs about risky handling of wind-damaged trees
Third-generation Ashburton dairy farmers TJ and Mark Stewart are no strangers to adapting and evolving.
When American retail giant Cosco came to audit Open Country Dairy’s new butter plant at the Waharoa site and give the green light to supply their American stores, they allowed themselves a week for the exercise.
Fonterra chair Peter McBride says the divestment of Mainland Group is their last significant asset sale and signals the end of structural changes.
Thirty years ago, as a young sharemilker, former Waikato farmer Snow Chubb realised he was bucking a trend when he started planting trees to provide shade for his cows, but he knew the animals would appreciate what he was doing.