Well-placed to weather conflicts
Shipping disruption caused by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea has so far not impacted fertiliser prices or supply on farm.
Ravensdown’s 2022 Integrated Report, published today, has revealed a 12% reduction in carbon emissions from fertiliser against the previous year.
The report tracks the co-operative’s performance against its strategic objectives.
The co-operative has produced the annual integrated reports since the 2018/19 financial year.
Ravensdown chair Bruce Wills says the company successfully overcame a wide range of challenges to help farmers and growers.
“Farmers and growers are both our customers and shareholders. They sit at the heart of everything we do. For our customers we supply the right amount of farm nutrients, and the right products and solutions to optimise production, while mitigating the impacts of land use on the environment.”
Wills says Ravensdown ended the year in a healthy financial position.
“In the face of global pressure on supply, and domestic incentives for environmental improvement, we leveraged long held and nurtured relationships to minimise supply disruption, while continuing to invest in services that support farmers,” he says.
Ravensdown chief executive Garry Diack says the co-operative has a clear focus on its vision statement: ‘Smarter Farming for a better New Zealand’.
“For us ‘good’ is meeting and exceeding our progressive pursuit of this vision. We do that on a sustained, planned basis, sharing that pursuit with all those who invest in us, work with us, work for us, use our products and services, and all those in society who live with the impacts of our endeavours.
“As proud as we are of our excellent company, there is still much to do to ensure our good performance remains aligned with, and where we can, leads in the fast-changing environment in which our farmers and growers operate.”
The country’s 4200 commercial fruit and vegetable growers will vote from May 14 on a new HortNZ levy.
Meat processor Alliance Group is asking farmer shareholders to inject more capital in order to remain a 100% co-operative.
A vet is calling for all animals to be vaccinated against a new strain of leptospirosis (lepto) discovered on New Zealand dairy farms in recent years.
Dairy
Rural banker Rabobank is partnering with Food Rescue Kitchen on a new TV series which airs this weekend that aims to shine a light on the real and growing issues of food waste, food poverty and social isolation in New Zealand.
Telco infrastructure provider Chorus says that it believes all Kiwis – particularly those in the rural areas – need access to high-speed, reliable broadband.