"Our" business?
OPINION: One particular bone the Hound has been gnawing on for years now is how the chattering classes want it both ways when it comes to the success of NZ's dairy industry.
Former Fonterra director Mark Townsend believes people need to be more wary about the real motives behind critics of the dairy co-op.
He concedes that Fonterra cops its share of criticism – some deserved and some over the top.
Referring to the attack on Fonterra leadership by NZ First Minister Shane Jones, Townshend says the “bizarre outburst will have been fuelled from somewhere”.
“And it will be worth watching who funds political parties (donations) and what they might like to see for their own self-interest as Government legislators do the DIRA review,” he told Rural News.
Townshend says non-supplying Fonterra unit holders receiving disappointing returns on investments have “a genuine grievance”.
However, he is disappointed at criticism from Fonterra shareholders and ex-Fonterra employees.
Townsend says Fonterra farmers need to be able to make their own assessments around how well the co-op is doing in paying its farmers a globally competitive milk price – rather than being overly influenced by outside parties with their own vested interests.
According to the most recent Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey, farmer confidence has inched higher, reaching its second highest reading in the last decade.
From 1 October, new livestock movement restrictions will be introduced in parts of Central Otago dealing with infected possums spreading bovine TB to livestock.
Phoebe Scherer, a technical manager from the Bay of Plenty, has won the 2025 Young Grower of the Year national title.
The Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand (FCANZ) celebrated the best of the best at the 2025 Fencing Industry Awards, providing the opportunity to honour both rising talent and industry stalwarts.
Award-winning boutique cheese company, Cranky Goat Ltd has gone into voluntary liquidation.
As an independent review of the National Pest Management Plan for TB finds the goal of complete eradication by 2055 is still valide, feedback is being sought on how to finish the job.
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