Farmers' call
OPINION: Fonterra's $4.22 billion consumer business sale to Lactalis is ruffling a few feathers outside the dairy industry.
Canterbury-based processor Synlait Milk says it has decided to take a "significant allocation" of milk from Fonterra as permitted under the Dairy Industry Restructuring Act for the year ending July 2014.
It needs the milk because further planning and a small investment in plant and equipment has created an opportunity to increase production capacity of ingredient products without impacting infant formula or nutritional product business, it says.
The extra milk will take intake and production of ingredient products higher than stated in June in its prospective financial information issued ahead of its IPO (initial public offering) and subsequent stock exchange listing on July 23.
Synlait says that while it's early in the 2013/14 season, the additional milk processed gives the company increased confidence of achieving its forecast financial result for 2014.
The total volume of milk expected to be taken is still to be finalised however DIRA permits an allocation of up to 50 million litres.
Synlait Milk will provide a general update September 24 when its annual result for the year ending 31 July 2013 is announced. Fonterra says it will announce its annual result September 25.
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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