McIntyre thanks farmers as he prepares to bow out of Feds
On the eve of his departure from Federated Farmers board, Richard McIntyre is thanking farmers for their support and words of encouragement during his stint as a farmer advocate.
Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday met with John Wilson for a tour of a South Auckland dairy farm and also visited its Te Rapa manufacturing site.
The visit was an opportunity for Wilson to further strengthen the company's relationship with Thailand, where it is the number one supplier of dairy ingredients.
Wilson says Fonterra was honoured to host Shinawatra and provide her, and the Thai trade delegation with a deeper understanding of their business, and the New Zealand dairy industry.
"Thailand's overall dairy consumption is still relatively low at 20kg per person per year, compared to the world average of 110kg. However, with its increasingly affluent population we expect the demand for dairy products to grow, which makes it an important country for our growth in Asia."
The Thai trade delegation included Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Surapong Tovichakchaikul and 20 Thai agri companies.
The country's second largest milk processor hopes to produce its first commercial butter within two months.
There's no doubt that vehicle manufacturers at Fieldays saw a steady stream of rural folk treading the boards.
Fonterra's co-op model and what it does for New Zealand has lured one of its bright stars back on board.
Farmer lobby Federated Farmers is reporting a growth in membership, for the first time in decades.
New Zealand's Ruminant Biotech says that while it has big goals, the scale of the problem it seeks to solve requires it.
The upheaval in the Middle East may have eased the fall in global dairy prices last week.
OPINION: As Fonterra's divestment of its Oceania and global consumer businesses progresses, clear contenders are emerging.
OPINION: After hopping from one event to another at Fieldays, Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard would have been hoping for…