Federated Farmers hails rural banking report
Federated Farmers says the final report into banking competition is a significant step forward for rural New Zealand - and a vindication of the farming sector's concern.
Federated Farmers West Coast provincial president, Katie Milne, has been elected to the farmer lobby's board.
She becomes the second woman so elected following Jeanette Maxwell in 2011. Milne replaces David Rose, who has retired after serving for three years.
"I think Federated Farmers continues to set history given 29 percent of Federated Farmers Board is now female," says president Bruce Wills
"I guess we are well ahead of the 25 percent group launched recently to lift the number of woman serving on boards. It is important to stress our board members are elected on their merits as farm leaders so I am delighted to welcome Katie on-board.
"I'd like to pay a big tribute to David Rose who I have served with for the past three years.
"David has had a large media presence as our adverse events spokesperson. His commitment was such that he fronted media despite being badly affected by the 2010 spring storm himself."
Milne is a Rotomanu dairy farmer on the West Coast. With Ian Whitmore she farms on 125 hectares milking 200 Jersey cows.
Fertiliser co-operative Ballance has written down $88 million - the full value of its Kapuni urea plant in Taranaki - from its balance sheet in the face of a looming gas shortage.
The Government and horticulture sector have unveiled a new roadmap with an aim to double horticulture farmgate returns by 2035.
Canterbury farmers and the Police Association say they are frustrated by proposed cuts to rural policing in the region.
The strain and pressure of weeks of repairing their flood-damaged properties is starting to tell on farmers and orchardists in the Tasman district.
The sale price of Fonterra’s global consumer and associated businesses to the world’s largest dairy company Lactalis has risen to $4.22 billion.
Alliance Group's proposal to sell a 65% shareholding to Ireland's Dawn Meats won't solve the red meat industry's structural problems, says former Federated Farmers meat and wool chair Toby Williams.
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