Why Fonterra accepted defeat in the dairy aisle
OPINION: Fonterra's sale of its consumer dairy business to Lactalis is a clear sign of the co-operative’s failure to compete in the branded consumer market.
Strong demand from China for whole milk powder has triggered another rise in Fonterra’s farmgate milk price.
The co-op has increased the midpoint of its forecast range, which farmers are paid off, by 20c to $7/kgMS. This follows a 40c lift in October.
Fonterra chief executive Miles Hurrell says as a result of strong demand for New Zealand dairy, the co-op has narrowed and lifted the bottom end of the forecast farmgate milk price range from $6.30 - $7.30/kgMS to $6.70 - $7.30/kgMS.
“This means the midpoint of the range, which farmers are paid off, has increased to $7/kgMS,” he says.
“China is continuing to recover well from COVID-19 and this is reflected in recent Global Dairy Trade (GDT) auctions with strong demand from Chinese buyers, especially for Whole Milk Powder, which is a key driver of the milk price.
“The impact of COVID-19 continues to play out globally, and we continue to have a watchful eye on the increasing Northern Hemisphere milk production and New Zealand dollar.
“However, we have contracted a good proportion of our sales book for this time of the season, which has given us the confidence to narrow and lift the bottom end of the forecast Farmgate Milk Price range.
“Our forecasts would see the co-op contribute around NZD $10.5 billion to the New Zealand economy this year.”
NZPork has appointed Auckland-based Paul Bucknell as its new chair.
The Government claims to have delivered on its election promise to protect productive farmland from emissions trading scheme (ETS) but red meat farmers aren’t happy.
Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks could have a detrimental impact on any country's rural sector, as seen in the United Kingdom's 2000 outbreak that saw the compulsory slaughter of over six million animals.
The Ministry for the Environment is joining as a national award sponsor in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA from next year).
Kiwis are wasting less of their food than they were two years ago, and this has been enough to push New Zealand’s total household food waste bill lower, the 2025 Rabobank KiwiHarvest Food Waste survey has found.
OPINION: Sir Lockwood Smith has clearly and succinctly defined what academic freedom is all about, the boundaries around it and the responsibility that goes with this privilege.