Two Major NZ Dairy Deals Completed
Two major acquisitions in the New Zealand dairy sector were completed this week.
FONTERRA HAS signed a five-year strategic agreement with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) to drive innovation in sustainable farming, manufacturing, health, nutrition and consumer dairy products.
CSIRO will apply its expertise to the cooperative's global dairy chain using its broad range of industrial know-how and scientific capability in remote sensing, resource engineering, ecosystem, food and water to help propel Fonterra's V3 strategy.
Fonterra chief technology officer Dr Jeremy Hill says, "We intend our partnership with CSIRO to develop a range of solutions to address Fonterra's science and technology needs."
"On-farm, CSIRO will turn their attention to herd productivity, effluent management and milk quality, and then work through our supply chain looking at processing and analytical technology, food structure and design, and consumer health benefits. We're leaving no stone unturned to ensure Fonterra stays at the cutting edge of dairy innovation."
Hill says innovation developed from strategic partnerships with the likes of CSIRO will be crucial to meet the needs of new markets and to ensure the industry remains commercially and environmentally sustainable.
"CSIRO has developed 3D printed devices to treat sleep apnoea, soil contamination detectors and highly efficient solar technology. These technologies aren't traditionally associated with the dairy industry, but it's the science and thinking behind these innovations that will benefit our focus on getting more value from our farmers' milk and doing so sustainably," says Dr Hill.
CSIRO's executive director agriculture food and health Maurice Moloney says partnership is a key component of CSIRO's strategy to deliver research solutions for the global dairy industry and it is strongly aligned with wider food and nutrition and through-chain research strategies.
"Our expertise provides significant opportunities across the entire dairy value-chain and by connecting with the likes of Fonterra we can speed delivery to market, and hence the positive impact, of this know-how," he says.
Concluding, Hill says, "There are a many possibilities to share expertise, knowledge and know-how between our two organisations that will build on Fonterra's current strengths in dairy science and technology and the broad capabilities that exist within CSIRO. We're looking forward to exploiting the full potential of this new partnership."
While the District Field Days brought with it a welcome dose of sunshine, it also attracted a significant cohort of sitting members from the Beehive – as one might expect in an election year.
Irish Minister of State of Agriculture, Noel Grealish was in New Zealand recently for an official visit.
While not all sibling rivalries come to blows, one headline event at the recent New Zealand Rural Games held in Palmerston North certainly did, when reigning World Champion Jack Jordan was denied the opportunity of defending his world title in Europe later this year, after being beaten by his big brother’s superior axle blows, at the Stihl Timbersports Nationals.
AgriZeroNZ has invested $5.1 million in Australian company Rumin8 to accelerate development of its methane-reducing products for cattle and bring them to New Zealand.
Farmers want more direct, accurate information about both fuel and fertiliser supply.
A bull on a freight plane sounds like the start of a joke, but for Ian Bryant, it is a fond memory of days gone by.