Synlait CEO Resignation Highlights Deeper Challenges Facing Dairy Processor
A revolving door of chief executives at milk processor Synlait is a warning sign, says Lincon University senior lecturer in agribusiness Nic Lees.
Taupo-based Māori dairy company, Miraka, celebrated a major milestone last week – the production of the billionth pack of UHT milk.
The so-called UHT bricks are in fact 250ml Tetra Packs, which Miraka produces exclusively for the Chinese market.
Chief executive Richard Wyeth says UHT production for China began on August 20, 2014 and it has taken just under six years to produce the billionth pack.
“We had a fantastic celebration to mark the occasion with special guests including the Mayor of Taupo, a representative of Terry Lee, and the Chinese Consul from Auckland coming along for the occasion,” he says.
Wyeth says this is an outstanding result for the production team at Miraka. He says, according to Tetra Pack, the Miraka production line is the top performer in Australasia. UHT is an important product for Miraka accounting for 20% of their total milk supply.
Miraka has two production lines producing UHT milk and Wyeth says they plan to put in a third line to produce concentrated milk.
LIC shareholders have elected a new North Island representative to the co-operative's Board, along with five representatives to its Shareholder Reference Group (SRG), following the company's Annual Meeting held in Invercargill.
Farmers across parts of Southland and South Otago are continuing to deal with difficult conditions after a prolonged run of wet weather, with pressure building around feed supply, stock management, pasture damage, farm infrastructure and everyday workloads.
Federated Farmers says it welcomes Labour's commitment to reviewing the Sharemilking Agreements Act, calling on other major parties to do the same.
For Canterbury dairy farmers Sian Meijer and Rick Wobben, wearable technology has become one of their most valuable on-farm tools - helping manage 1850 cows across an expansive, high-performing dairy operation while improving efficiency, mating outcomes and day-to-day decision making.
Fonterra has unveiled its annual results for the 2026 financial year, posting $27 billion in revenue and close to $20 billion returned to New Zealand farmer owners and unit holders.
The first major update to the Dairy Cattle Code of Welfare in more than a decade has been released, marking what DairyNZ describes as an important step in ensuring animal welfare standards continue to evolve alongside scientific evidence and on-farm realities.