Print this page

Wednesday, 19 February 2025 11:25

No buyers

Written by Milking It

font size decrease font size increase font size

OPINION: Australian dairy is bracing for the retirement of an iconic dairy brand.

Saputo Dairy Australia (SDA) announced last year the retirement of its King Island Dairy brand, after being unable to find a buyer for the 132-year-old brand and its current facility.

Over the past year, SDA has sought to maximise value for the business looking for commercial and financial alternatives for King Island Dairy, including a potential sale to a third party. The business employs 58 people and is the single biggest employer on the island which only has a population of 1,600.

Is this a good omen for Fonterra as it tries to sell off its Australian consumer business that includes some of the top dairy brands across the ditch?

More like this

Suitors line up

Suitors line up

OPINION: As Fonterra's divestment of its Oceania and global consumer businesses progresses, clear contenders are emerging.

On the go

On the go

OPINION: After hopping from one event to another at Fieldays, Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard would have been hoping for a rest.

Matt Bolger returns to Fonterra to lead co-operative affairs division

Fonterra's co-op model and what it does for New Zealand has lured one of its bright stars back on board.

Misguided campaign

OPINION: Last week, Greenpeace lit up Fonterra's Auckland headquarters with 'messages from the common people' - that the sector is polluting the environment.

Fieldays goes urban

OPINION: Once upon a time the Fieldays were for real farmers, salt of the earth people who thrived on hard yakka.

Popular Reads

Farmers Advised to Look Beyond Palm Kernel Price When Buying Supplementary Feed

When buying supplementary feeds, farmers need to consider the entire package on offer – service, freight and all the components…

Otago Regional Council to launch winter flyovers

Otago Regional Council is set to begin its annual winter farm flyovers in the next three weeks.

Calf rearers say goodbye to leaky teats, poor feeder fit

Leaky teats and poor feeder fit are now a thing of the past for calf rearers - thanks to the…

'Grand Alliance' growing grass-fed beef exports to China

Alliance Group and Grand Farm have signed a strategic co-operation agreement with a focus on delivering more premium New Zealand…

Aussie Jerseys back on NZ agenda

ST Genetics breeding consultant Jean Macky believes that it is time for New Zealand farmers to look at Aussie Jerseys.

Featured

Matt Bolger returns to Fonterra to lead co-operative affairs division

Fonterra's co-op model and what it does for New Zealand has lured one of its bright stars back on board.

Feds report membership boost

Farmer lobby Federated Farmers is reporting a growth in membership, for the first time in decades.

Ruminant Biotech aims to equip 100 million cows with Emitless methane-reducing tech

New Zealand's Ruminant Biotech says that while it has big goals, the scale of the problem it seeks to solve requires it.

Middle East demand cushions global dairy price drop at latest GDT auction

The upheaval in the Middle East may have eased the fall in global dairy prices last week.

Halter raises $165m, company valued at $1.65b

New Zealand tech company Halter has raised $165 million from investors in its latest fundraising round.

Federated Farmers supports KiwiSaver access for first farm buyers

Federated Farmers is brushing aside concerns that the Government's intention to allow farmers to use their KiwiSaver funds to buy a first farm could be problematic.

National

Waikato Plan Change 1 litigation nears conclusion after 12 years

Following twelve years of litigation, a conclusion could be in sight of Waikato’s controversial Plan Change 1 (PC1).

Biosecurity tops priorities for agribusiness leaders - report

Biosecurity remains the top priority for agribusiness leaders, according to KPMG’s 2025 Agribusiness Agenda released last week.

Fall armyworm survives NZ winter, defying early pest assessments

Maize and sweetcorn pest fall armyworm has defied initial assessments regarding its ability to survive over winter in some parts…

Dairy confidence up but challenges remain

A report released this morning at the National Fieldays, Mystery Creek shows dairy farmer confidence growing, but challenges remain.

DairyNZ relaunches Workplace 360 to help farmers build better workplaces

Supporting farmers to build great workplaces is a focus for DairyNZ, which is why they say they have relaunched the…

Machinery & Products

Farming smarter with technology

The National Fieldays is an annual fixture in the farming calendar: it draws in thousands of farmers, contractors, and industry…

CNH appoints new NZ business manager amid new tax incentives for agricultural machinery

CNH continues to reinforce its position in the New Zealand agricultural machinery market with the appointment of John Gilbert, previously…

Fencing smarts from the Emerald Isle

While a leading New Zealand brand seems to have a stranglehold on the local electric fencing market, a company from…

Kubota to unveil three new models at Fieldays

Kubota is thrilled to unveil three new models at National Fieldays this week.

RainWave set to cause a splash

Traditional spreading via tankers or umbilical systems have typically discharged effluent onto splash-plates, resulting in small droplet sizes, which in…