Incoming SFF chair's vision for the future
Incoming Silver Fern Farms chair and King Country farmer Anna Nelson wants the future of farming and rural communities to be thriving, healthy and happy.
Lobby group Meat Industry Excellence (MIE) says Silver Fern Farms shareholders must carefully scrutinise the proposed joint venture with Shanghai Maling.
Chairman Peter McDonald questions whether the proposal is the best or only option available to the company or to farmers. He is calling on farmers to get engaged in understanding and debating the proposal and to question the SFF Board.
"Why has a potential 50% partner been granted executive power at board level which doesn't seem to be reflective of their proposed share?" McDonald asks.
"Of course there are some positive elements to the proposal, but there seems to be very little understanding of the risks or costs to farmer shareholders and the industry."
He says the biggest question of all is why just one option was being put forward by the SFF board.
"Shareholders should be trusted to view and vote on more than one option"
MIE wants Silver Fern Farms shareholders to get engaged in this process. McDonald says farmers should attend meetings and pass on information to other shareholders.
He also questions the "sweeteners" being offered to shareholders in the deal. "These should not be the deciding factor," McDonald adds. "If anything, farmers should be asking why the deal requires a financial sweetener to shareholders if it makes sense in the long run."
Farmers and politicians will battle it out at Gisborne this Saturday – on a sports field and all in the name of charity.
People are starting to question the viability of sheep and beef farming as profitability in that sector falls to one of its all-time lows, according to Federated Farmers board member and Gisborne sheep and beef farm, Toby Williams.
Kiwifruit exporter and marketer Zespri has reported a $60 million drop in net profit, mainly driven by reduced licence revenue from lower pricing per hectare than 2022/23.
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The dairy and red meat sectors have welcomed news that New Zealand will begin formal negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United Arab Emirates (UAE).