Farmers' call
OPINION: Fonterra's $4.22 billion consumer business sale to Lactalis is ruffling a few feathers outside the dairy industry.
Fonterra shareholders have voted to increase the allowance of directors and Co-operative Council members.
Co-op chairman Peter McBride’s allowance jumps $15,000 to $470,000 per annum.
Fonterra director fees lift $6000 to $191,000.
The motion to increase director allowance was approved by 85% of farmers at the co-op’s annual meeting in Rotorua today.
The motion to increase the remuneration of councillors was supported by 82% of shareholders.
The incoming council chair John Stevenson will now be paid $120,000, an increase of $10,000. Councillors get $38,500, an extra $1000.
A motion to retain KPMG as auditor for another year was passed by 97% of shareholders.
Almost 96% of shareholders also voted in favour ratifying the appointment of Scott St John as a director for another three year term.
St John was appointed to the Fonterra board in 2016.
He was the chief executive officer of First NZ Capital (FNZC) for 15 years, stepping down from that role in early 2017.
He is the chair of Fisher and Paykel Healthcare and serves on the board of ANZ Bank New Zealand, Mercury NZ Limited and NEXT Foundation.
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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