Fonterra’s $3.2b capital return to farmers set to boost rural incomes and NZ economy
According to ASB, Fonterra's plan to sell it's Anchor and Mainlands brands could inject $4.5 billion in additional spending into the economy.
OPINION: Economists, in their usual excitable tones, have, for a while now, been openly questioning the Reserve Bank’s glacially slow reaction to the recessionary economic conditions we’re all drowning in.
ASB’s October RBNZ Preview was one example: “We are increasingly concerned that the OCR is very high relative to a more neutral level in an economy where inflation pressures and capacity have in effect already normalised.”
Translation: The RBNZ has crashed the economy and urgently needs to cut the OCR
In the first week of October, ASB was expecting two 50bp cuts in 2024 (last week the RBNZ dropped the OCR by 50bp) and a further 25bp cut in February 2025- with one of their economists saying, “the largest regret now facing the RBNZ is moving too little, too late”.
With the current situation in the European farm machinery market being described as difficult at best, it’s perhaps no surprise that the upcoming AgriSIMA 2026 agricultural machinery exhibition, scheduled for February 2026 at Paris-Nord Villepinte, has been cancelled.
The Meat Industry Association of New Zealand (MIA) has launched the first in-market activation of the refreshed Taste Pure Nature country-of-origin brand with an exclusive pop-up restaurant experience in Shanghai.
Jayna Wadsworth, daughter of the late New Zealand wicketkeeper Ken Wadsworth, has launched an auction of cricket memorabilia to raise funds for I Am Hope's youth mental health work.
As we move into the 2025/26 growing season, the Tractor and Machinery Association (TAMA) reports that the third quarter results for the year to date is showing that the stagnated tractor market of the last 18 months is showing signs of recovery.
DairyNZ chair Tracy Brown is urging dairy farmers to participate in the 2026 Levy vote, to be held early next year.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) is calling for nominations for director roles in the Eastern North Island and Southern South Island electoral districts.
OPINION: Microplastics are turning up just about everywhere in the global food supply, including in fish, cups of tea, and…
OPINION: At a time when dairy prices are at record highs, no one was expecting the world's second largest dairy…