Fonterra cements position as the big cheese!
Fonterra has cemented its position as the country’s number one cheesemaker by picking up nine NZ Champion of Cheese trophies this year.
Deputy Prime Minister Bill English says farmers should not put the blame on Fonterra.
On the co-ops performance, English says during a downturn there is always a temptation to blame; however that's a product of world supply.
"You can't expect Fonterra to be setting the world price."
He is confident that whatever Fonterra is discussing with its shareholders it is helping farmers maintain a cohesive and confident view of the future.
Fonterra is expecting milk production to be lower by 4% this season. English says this allows the co-op to focus on its volume-to-value strategy. More milk is going into higher value products.
Shareholders and the Government would like to think more could have happened sooner, English says.
"But Fonterra has had to deal with this big surge in production over recent years so they are now well geared up with the right attitude to push more volume into high value added products.
"In five years that's how farmers will judge them: on how the co-op has succeeded in turning more milk into high value products."
However, English notes that higher value added products would always be risky investments; Fonterra's product range will always be underpinned by a base load of competitive production of milk powder commodity type products.
Fonterra has cemented its position as the country’s number one cheesemaker by picking up nine NZ Champion of Cheese trophies this year.
New Zealand dairy processors are welcoming the Government’s commitment to continuing to push for Canada to honour its trade commitments.
An educational programme, set up by Beef + Land New Zealand, to connect farmers virtually with primary and intermediate school students has reported the successful completion of its second year.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has welcomed a resolution adopted by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly to declare 2026 International Year of the Woman Farmer.
Waikato herd health veterinarian Katrina Roberts is the 2024 Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year.
Horticulture NZ chief executive Nadine Tunley will step down in August.