Fonterra Whareroa sets cheese record, wins top award
Fonterra Whareroa wrapped up a successful season with a record-breaking cheese production volume and several gongs at the co-op's annual Best Site Cup awards.
Two former Fonterra directors have been elected to the Cooperative Business New Zealand board.
Nicola Shadbolt and Greg Gent will join two others - Mike Brown of Marlborough Grape Growers Cooperative and Matthew Washington of Mitre 10 on the board.
Shadbolt has extensive governance experience and is an experienced advocate of the co-operative model.
A professor of farm and agri business management at Massey University, she is the current chair of Plant and Food Research Institute and a Climate Change Commissioner.
Gent, a Northland dairy farmer, joins with board with an extensive careeer in governance, spanning several decades across multiple sectors.
He is chairman of Southern Cross Health Society and is a past chair of Farmers' Mutual Group, past director of Fonterra, and works as a dairy farmer in Ruawai.
NZ Co-op Business chief executive Roz Henry says the combined experience of the new directors will be a great help to members.
"Their combined experience, knowledge and skills, covering a range of sectors and specialist knowledge will prove invaluable and greatly assist in pursuing the interest of our members, in particular working alongside our government and educators to support New Zealand member-owned business."
Six industry organisations, including DairyNZ and the Dairy Companies Association (DCANZ) have signed an agreement with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to prepare the country for a potential foot and mouth outbreak.
The 2026 Red Dairy Cow conference will be hosted by New Zealand in March.
While global dairy commodity prices continue to climb in most key exporting countries, the second half of the year is expected to bring increased downside risks.
In a surprise move, Federated Farmers meat and wool group has dumped its chair Toby Williams.
Former MP and Southland farmer Eric Roy has received the Outstanding Contribution to New Zealand’s Primary Industries Award.
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