Strong growth for Yili's NZ operations
Chinese dairy giant Yili Group says its New Zealand operations are on track for strong revenue growth in 2025 after recording significant year-on-year growth for the first half of the year.
Westland Milk Products chief executive Toni Brendish admits the co-op has tested its shareholders’ patience and she can’t ask them to hold on any longer.
The forecast payout for the 2018-19 season is in the range of $6.50 to $6.90/kgMS.
She says forecasting a payout in a commodity market is very difficult especially with the market turbulence caused by US President Donald Trump and Britain’s plan to leave the EU.
Brendish says when setting the forecast price they don’t only take into account the GDT price; that’s just one tool and others must be noted. Some countries are getting higher prices by not selling through the GDT system, she says.
Reflecting on the past season, Brendish says WMP has made massive improvements. When she joined the co-op two years ago she received extensive feedback about the state of WMP and the low payout. But this time she’s had no phone calls or mail about the payout. She puts this down partly to the co-op’s efforts to improve communication with shareholders.
“I am sure [the shareholders would tell you] they are disappointed with the payout for last season, and they should be because we are at the low end of the range. But we know that even at $6.07 it is well above break-even.
“That is still not enough, we don’t pretend it is enough and I am not naive to think people are happy because they are not.”
But with the season off to a good start in milk flow, the correcting of mistakes, new personnel and strategy and determination to produce more value-add products, Brendish is confident the days of low payouts are over and the co-op is heading in the right direction.
Tickets are now available for Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s (B+LNZ) Out the Gate, returning from 19-21 May 2026 at Te Pae, Christchurch.
Dairy Women's Network (DWN) is welcoming AgriHealth as a new partner.
Northland Field Days patron Ross Newlove remembers the inaugural field days he attended 40 years ago.
Southland farmer Murray Donald has been appointed as chair of Safer Farms, the industry-led organisation focused on reducing harm, injuries and fatalities in the agricultural sector.
National Lamb Day returns this Sunday, 15 February, with Beef + Lamb New Zealand Inc calling on Kiwis to fire up their barbecues and celebrate the people and the product that put New Zealand on the world map.
When it comes to arranging the sound system at Northland Field Days, no one does it better than Colin Finlayson.
OPINION: Fonterra may be on the verge of selling its consumer business in New Zealand, but the co-operative is not…
OPINION: What does the birth rate in China have to do with stock trading? Just ask a2 Milk Company.