Fonterra shaves 50c off forecast milk price
Fonterra has dropped its forecast milk price mid-point by 50c as a surge in global milk production is putting downward pressure on commodity prices.
Fonterra's chairman Henry van der Heyden says the board regrets Simon Couper's decision to stand down as Shareholders Council chairman.
"But if Simon is uncomfortable, he has done the right thing by the cooperative," he says.
"The board is grateful to Simon for his eight years of service to Fonterra."
Couper resigned yesterday after expressing reservations about TAF's ability to maintain 100% farmer control and ownership. The new chairman Ian Brown has expressed support for TAF.
Van der Heyden says the Shareholder Council had pulled out all stops to complete their due diligence on TAF in order to provide shareholders with their independent evaluation of the package before farmers had their final vote on June 25.
"When we are making such a significant decision to protect the cooperative, it is important that the board and council are able to stand shoulder to shoulder. So the board is delighted to have council's support," Sir Henry said.
"When we announced the special meeting we said that we wanted to have this final vote to unify the cooperative. With board and council unified on Trading Among Farmers we are now a long way down that track."
The notice of meeting pack will be mailed to shareholders at the end of next week and the board is encouraging all shareholders to exercise their vote and to have their say.
Three New Zealand agritech companies are set to join forces to help unlock the full potential of technology.
As the sector heads into the traditional peak period for injuries and fatalities, farmers are being urged to "take a moment".
Federated Farmers says almost 2000 farmers have signed a petition launched this month to urge the Government to step in and provide certainty while the badly broken resource consent system is fixed.
Zespri’s counter-seasonal Zespri Global Supply (ZGS) programme is underway with approximately 33 million trays, or 118,800 tonnes, expected this year from orchards throughout France, Italy, Greece, Korea, and Japan.
Animal owners can help protect life-saving antibiotics from resistant bacteria by keeping their animals healthy, says the New Zealand Veterinary Association.
According to analysis by the Meat Industry Association (MIA), New Zealand red meat exports reached $827 million in October, a 27% increase on the same period last year.