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.
A new dairy industry workplace accord will be launched in May as part of a range of industry actions aimed at helping farmers attract and retain skilled people to work on farms.
"The Quality Workplace Accord is a commitment to improving the work environment of dairy farms," says DairyNZ's strategy and investment leader for people and business, Mark Paine.
"The overarching goal is to achieve quality work environments through helping farmers implement good people management practices.
"We need a positive reputation for employment practice and we need it now. We have to show our commitment to delivering that for the people who work in our industry and who are considering coming into it.
"This Accord is going to be a strong, visible and public commitment. The accord will have deadlines and set out timeframes for meeting key targets around safety, legal obligations and remuneration policies."
www.dairynz.co.nz
According to the latest Federated Farmers banking survey, farmers are more satisfied with their bank and less under pressure, however, the sector is well short of confidence levels seen last decade.
Farmer confidence has taken a slight dip according to the final Rabobank rural confidence survey for the year.
Former Agriculture Minister and Otaki farmer Nathan Guy has been appointed New Zealand’s Special Agricultural Trade Envoy (SATE).
Alliance Group has commissioned a new heat pump system at its Mataura processing plant in Southland.
Fonterra has slashed another 50c off its milk price forecast as global milk flows shows no sign of easing.
Meat processors are hopeful that the additional 15% tariff on lamb exports to the US will also come off.