"Our" business?
OPINION: One particular bone the Hound has been gnawing on for years now is how the chattering classes want it both ways when it comes to the success of NZ's dairy industry.
Despite news that Fonterra’s partnership with Chinese company Beingmate appears to be going from bad to worse, the co-op is still claiming “confidence” in the investment.
Beingmate last week reported a preliminary net loss of RMB964 million (NZ$211 million) down 23% on last year’s result. The company also confirmed it was delisting from the Chinese stock exchange.
Fonterra bought an 18.8% share in Beingmate in 2014 for $756m. Four years later the value of that investment has shrunk to about $220m.
Chairman John Wilson admits, in the latest issue of Fonterra’s Farm Source magazine, the co-op “remains very concerned” about Beingmate’s performance. However, despite the plague of issues with the Chinese company, he tells farmer shareholders they need “to be patient and play the long game”.
Wilson claims that despite Beingmate’s recent performance “the potential of our broader partnership remains”.
Wilson also says Fonterra’s management – including chief executive Theo Spierings – are “working through a strategic co-operation committee with Beingmate founder Sam Xie and are confident the situation can be turned around in the medium term”.
Alliance has announced a series of capital raise roadshow event, starting on 29 September in Tuatapere, Southland.
State farmer Pāmu (Landcorp) has announced a new equity partnership in an effort to support pathways to farm ownership for livestock farm operators.
Following a recent overweight incursion that saw a Mid-Canterbury contractor cop a $12,150 fine, the rural contracting industry is calling time on what they consider to be outdated and unworkable regulations regarding weight and dimensions that they say are impeding their businesses.
Trade Minister Todd McClay says his officials plan to meet their US counterparts every month from now on to better understand how the 15% tariff issue there will play out, and try and get some certainty there for our exporters about the future.
Brett Wotton, an Eastern Bay of Plenty kiwifruit grower and harvest contractor, has won the 2025 Kiwifruit Innovation Award for his work to support lifting fruit quality across the industry.
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