Farmers' call
OPINION: Fonterra's $4.22 billion consumer business sale to Lactalis is ruffling a few feathers outside the dairy industry.
Fonterra is shedding another 227 jobs as part of an on-going business review.
In a statement today, the co-op said total job losses to date stands at 750; it had previously announced 523 job losses.
Fonterra chief executive Theo Spierings says the purpose of the review is to ensure that Fonterra remains well positioned to compete in a rapidly changing global dairy market.
One-off savings generated by changes the cooperative is making during the business review, such as improving working capital, have already enabled the cooperative to support our farmers during challenging market conditions.
The review is an on-going process that looks at the entire business to identify potential areas where the cooperative can find more efficiencies and improve future performance, he says.
"We have great people, but we have to make tough decisions to ensure Fonterra remains competitive in this environment. We will continue to fine-tune our organisation to ensure we best support the initiatives identified by our business review," says Spierings.
"Our business is looking to the future with the momentum, energy and solid plans needed to keep improving performance."
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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Driven by a lifelong passion for animals, Amy Toughey's journey from juggling three jobs with full-time study to working on cutting-edge dairy research trials shows what happens when hard work meets opportunity - and she's only just getting started.
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