FONTERRA CHAIRMAN John Wilson admits the co-op should have handled some aspects of last year’s false botulism scare differently, but he says the co-op’s food safety has been proven world-class.

A LARGE and effective network involving farmers is the only way of effecting change in the dairy industry, according to Dr Rick Pridmore, DairyNZ’s strategy and investment leader for sustainability.

SILVER FERN Farms’ board candidate Fiona Hancox says if farmers can’t fund the cooperative’s call for capital, then it at least needs to ensure a “New Zealand Inc approach rather than foreign ownership”.

IT'S BEEN a big year for agriculture with the rise and fall – and still falling – of dairying prices. And for the first time in many years, sheep and beef farmers are feeling good – or is it that they know dairy aren’t in such a happy frame of mind? We take a look back on the year to see what was good, what was bad and what was downright ugly…