"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.
The battle for milk supply in Waikato is heating up with Canterbury processor Synlait entering the region.
It will build a $280 million powder plant at Pokeno, north Waikato, and is now encouraging potential Waikato suppliers to register their interest to avoid missing out.
Synlait’s project means three new milk plants will be commissioned in Waikato over the next 24 months, all three plants seeking milk at Fonterra’s doorstep.
Open Country Dairy’s new plant is nearing completion. Its chief executive Steve Koekemoer told suppliers last month the Horotiu factory build is progressing very well and interest in milk supply has been strong.
Happy Valley Dairy has resource consent for a $230m infant formula plant in Otorohanga. Its founder and director Randolph van der Burgh says farmers around the factory will be offered milk supply contracts once construction starts.
“We expect some farmers to switch supply to us; others may want to stay with Fonterra… it’s entirely up to each farmer,” he says.
Waikato Federated Farmers president Andrew McGiven says the new plants prove the effectiveness of the Dairy Industry Restructuring Act (DIRA), which led to the formation of Fonterra.
“It is ensuring that farm gate competition for milk supply is alive and well,” he says.
McGiven agrees that Fonterra suppliers in Waikato will be targeted by the independent processors. “Obviously Fonterra will have to compete to meet this competition,” he says.
“Congratulations to Synlait for taking the risk in developing a factory away from their supplier base... but they have experience in doing that obviously.”
Pokeno, the location for Synlait’s second nutritional powder plant, already has an infant formula plant, owned by Yashili.
“Our forecast increase in customer demand for infant formula products means we need to add additional powder manufacturing capacity as soon as we can,” says Graeme Milne, Synlait chairman.
Chief executive John Penno says the commissioning date will be known once consents and approvals are obtained.
Alliance has announced a series of capital raise roadshow event, starting on 29 September in Tuatapere, Southland.
State farmer Pāmu (Landcorp) has announced a new equity partnership in an effort to support pathways to farm ownership for livestock farm operators.
Following a recent overweight incursion that saw a Mid-Canterbury contractor cop a $12,150 fine, the rural contracting industry is calling time on what they consider to be outdated and unworkable regulations regarding weight and dimensions that they say are impeding their businesses.
Trade Minister Todd McClay says his officials plan to meet their US counterparts every month from now on to better understand how the 15% tariff issue there will play out, and try and get some certainty there for our exporters about the future.
Brett Wotton, an Eastern Bay of Plenty kiwifruit grower and harvest contractor, has won the 2025 Kiwifruit Innovation Award for his work to support lifting fruit quality across the industry.
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