Farmers' call
OPINION: Fonterra's $4.22 billion consumer business sale to Lactalis is ruffling a few feathers outside the dairy industry.
Voting for the 2012 Fonterra elections opens tonight. Voting packs were posted to shareholders today.
This year's Fonterra elections are being held for three seats on the board of directors and the five wards in the Shareholders Council: Wards 8 (Hamilton), 9 (Morrinsville), 17 (Eastern Bay of Plenty), 23 (Egmont Plains) and 32 (Southern Canterbury).
There are eleven candidates standing for the board of directors' election: Blue Read, Donna Smit, Eric Ray, Grant Cochrane, Grant Rowan, Jacqueline Rowarth, Jan Marten Kingma, Lachie Cameron, Michael Spaans and the two incumbent directors John Wilson and Nicola Shadbolt.
Fonterra shareholders have the opportunity to meet candidates at the directors' election candidate roadshow on December 3-7.
Shareholders can vote by internet, fax or post using the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system. The results will be announced at Fonterra's annual meeting in Hamilton on Monday, December 17.
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.