New Zealand Sign Language Week Highlights Inclusion at Fonterra Clandeboye
Last week marked New Zealand Sign Language Week and a South Canterbury tanker operator is sharing what it's like to be deaf in a busy Fonterra depot.
Fonterra Shareholders' Council chairman, Ian Brown, says farmers' take-up of the latest Fonterra Supply Offer shows they are beginning to take advantage of the flexibility Trading Among Farmers (TAF) offers them.
Twenty per cent of Farmers sold close to $600 million worth of the economic rights to their Wet Shares, Brown says.
"The first supply offer saw farmers exercise some understandable caution but with growing confidence in the new system farmers are now ready to use TAF as it was intended.
"The solid level of demand from shareholders to release some of the economic value of their shares shows they are using TAF to their benefit.
"Farmers are taking advantage of the greater flexibility it offers them in making decisions that impact the day-to-day running of their business.
"This also strengthens our cooperative as Fonterra is now able to make better use of our capital rather than, as the recent drought would have compelled it to, distribute it as farmers redeemed their shares."
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Silver Fern Farms has tackled the ongoing war-induced shipping challenges to mideast markets by airlifting 90 tonnes of chilled New Zealand lamb and beef to the United Arab Emirates.
The primary sector is leading New Zealand's economic recovery, according to economist and researcher Cameron Bagrie.
Dairy industry leader Jim van der Poel didn't make much of the invitation he received to the recent New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards in Rotorua.
Farmers around the country are going public big time, demanding their local district, city and regional councils come up with amalgamation plans that meet the needs of rural communities and don't allow urban councils to dominate.

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