Yili in Global Top 5 dairy companies
Yili, which operates Westland Dairy Company and Oceania Dairy, has consolidated its position among the top five dairy companies in the world.
Oceania Dairy has announced they will supply farmers with a guaranteed minimum milk payout of $4.50/kgMS for the 2015-16 season.
On the back of continued turbulence in global dairy markets, Oceania hopes their guarantee will help support struggling dairy farmers.
"With Fonterra reducing its forecast payout for the season to $3.85, we wanted to send an important signal of support and partnership to our supply farmers," says Roger Usmar, general manager, Oceania Dairy Limited.
"Backed by our owner, Yili, Oceania Dairy has looked at how we can practically support our suppliers at a difficult time for the sector.
A premium minimum guarantee will offer farmers some certainty to their cash flow and operational planning for the 2015-16 season, says Usmar.
"Our suppliers are the life-blood of our business so we are investing in them and their future with Oceania Dairy," he says.
Yili recently announced details of a further five-year, $400 million development project on the Glenavy site. The comprehensive project will add capacity to output a wide range of additional products from the Glenavy factory.
This will include a whole milk powder dryer, an infant formula canning line and facilities to manufacture UHT milk products and lactoferrin.
"By working in partnership with our suppliers now, we believe that we can all be better positioned to capitalise on the opportunities of the future."
The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (the College) and Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health Network are calling for investment in a proposed new training pathway for rural GPs, warning that many rural practices are struggling to recruit while a large share of the existing workforce nears retirement.
Federated Farmers has called on Central Otago District Council (CODC) to drop or vote down a plan to truck sludge from Alexandra and Cromwell to farmland near Lauder, warning it would compound an "outrageous" situation created by a separate council's decision weeks earlier.
Synlait has swung to second-half profit as operations stabilise, but the dairy processor still posted a $75.4m annual loss.
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.
OPINION: It seems Canterbury processor Synlait is still in the doldrums.
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