Farmers' call
OPINION: Fonterra's $4.22 billion consumer business sale to Lactalis is ruffling a few feathers outside the dairy industry.
Fonterra is pulling out of another non-core business – importing palm kernel expeller.
The co-operative has offloaded its 50% stake in Agrifeeds to joint venture partner Wilmar International for $27.5 million. Fonterra will continue to be the exclusive seller of Agrifeeds PKE products through its Farm Source stores.
In an email to farmer suppliers today, Farm Source group director Richard Allen says as part of the co-op’s continuous review of investments, it has concluded that ownership of Agrifeeds “is no longer necessary to ensure farmers have access to sustainably sourced and competitively priced [stock] food”.
In recent years, Fonterra has urged its farmer suppliers to cut back on PKE usage, as international customers demand a better sustainability footprint for food products.
The co-op has also come under fire from environmental lobby groups like Greenpeace for importing PKE and allowing its usage as a supplementary feed.
PKE is a by-product of the palm oil industry, which Greenpeace claims causes rainforest destruction in Indonesia.
The Agrifeeds joint venture was set up in 2008.
Allen says the investment has delivered strong returns.
“During periods of poor pasture growth or quality, access to supplementary feed plays an important role in maintaining productivity on-farm and the wellbeing of your herd,” he told farmers.
Wilmar has confirmed that there will be no change to the product range available in NZ.
Academic Dr Mike Joy and his employer, Victoria University of Wellington have apologised for his comments suggesting that dairy industry CEOs should be hanged for contributing towards nitrate poisoning of waterways.
Environment Southland's catchment improvement funding is once again available for innovative landowners in need of a boost to get their project going.
The team meeting at the Culverden Hotel was relaxed and open, despite being in the middle of calving when stress levels are at peak levels, especially in bitterly cold and wet conditions like today.
A comment by outspoken academic Dr Mike Joy suggesting that dairy industry leaders should be hanged for nitrate contamination of drinking/groundwater has enraged farmers.
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