Farmers' call
OPINION: Fonterra's $4.22 billion consumer business sale to Lactalis is ruffling a few feathers outside the dairy industry.
While no official statement has come yet from Fonterra Co-operative Council, Milking It understands that for the first time ever, there are only three candidates for board elections.
And they are sitting directors - chairman Peter McBride, John Nichols and Leonie Guiney - all retiring by rotation and seeking re-election.
With three vacancies and three candidates, an election will still need to take place as rules stipulate that a candidate must get at least 50.01% of the votes to be elected.
But with no one challenging the status quo, it seems farmers shareholders are happy with the direction of their co-op.
This also bodes well for the capital structure revamp, spearheaded by McBride, It will need 75% support from voting farmers at the co-op's AGM next month to pass.
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.
OPINION: The phasing out of copper network from communications is understandable.
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.