Farmers' call
OPINION: Fonterra's $4.22 billion consumer business sale to Lactalis is ruffling a few feathers outside the dairy industry.
More bad news for dairy farmers as the latest Global Dairy Trade auction saw the average price index slip by 2.2% to $2,472.
It is the fifth consecutive fall this year with most products seeing a decrease.
Cheddar saw the biggest drop, down 7.1% with an average price of US$2,745/MT. This was followed by Anhydrous Milk Fat down 4.8% at US$3,337/MT and Skim Milk Powder down by 3.6% to US$1,992/MT.
Butter fell by 3.2%, average price US$2,911/MT.
Whole Milk Powder, a key product for Fonterra also saw a minor drop of 0.5% average price US$2,390/MT, with Rennet Casein down 0.4% to US$6,067/MT.
The two products to gain ground were Butter Milk Powder, up 3.2%, to US$1,930/MT and Lactose up 0.9% to US$580/MT.
Some 26,553 tonnes of product was sold, down from the 27,369 tonnes sold in the May 6 auction two weeks ago.
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.