Battle for milk
OPINION: Fonterra may be on the verge of selling its consumer business in New Zealand, but the co-operative is not keen on giving any ground to its competitors in the country.
Fonterra Shareholders' Council chairman, Duncan Coull, says record breaking efforts of shareholders saw 65% of farms, representing 73% of milksolids, cast their votes.
"This is an outstanding result for our co-op," says Coull.
"Fonterra farmers value the principle of 100% ownership and control and it is great to see shareholders, as the owners of Fonterra, come out in numbers to decide the direction in which their co-op will travel.
"My view is that the health of our co-op is dependent on our shareholders and their willingness to participate in the decision making processes and based on the participation rates in this Election I would suggest that our co-op is in very good shape."
Keratin biomaterials company Keraplast and Wools of New Zealand have signed a new superpremium wool contract which is said to deliver a boost to wool growers.
While things are looking positive for the red meat sector in 2026, volatility in global trade remains a concern, says the Meat Industry Association (MIA).
The quest to find innovative practical, scientific solutions to deal with water-related issues at a catchment level has been the theme of an important conference at Massey University last week.
One of the country's top Māori farms faces a long and costly rebuild to get the property back to where it was before recent storms ripped through it.
The latest Global Dairy Trade auction results have delivered a boost to dairy farmers.
New Zealand potato growers are prioritising value creation from high yields to meet a complex mix of challenges and opportunities, says Potatoes NZ chief executive Kate Trufitt.