SFF joins the slaughter
Meat processor and exporter Silver Fern Farms Ltd has joined fellow South Island-based meat company Alliance Group in reporting a big loss for the past year.
Silver Fern Farms chief executive Dean Hamilton will leave the company end of the year.
SFF chairman Rob Hewett says search has commenced for a new chief executive.
Hewett says the board is “understandably saddened” by Hamilton’s decision to resign, announced today.
“However, we’ve been discussing for some time the demands on him of working away from home, and appreciate and accept Dean’s desire for change.“
“Dean has achieved an enormous amount in what will be 3 years as chief executive of Silver Fern Farms.”
Under his leadership, the company achieved a recapitalisation through the $260m investment by Shanghai Maling and partnership with the Silver Fern Farms Cooperative: a 2020 business strategy was also developed.
Hewitt says Hamilton has realigned the organisational leadership team “to support that strategy, improved farmer engagement, strengthened organisational culture, rationalised our plant platform, increased investment in health & safety and sustainability, and introduced strong financial and risk management disciplines.”
“Dean will leave the company in its strongest ever financial position, with a clear strategic direction and a very capable leadership team.”
Hamilton says he is really proud of what SFF has achieved.
“We’ve got a really passionate group of people, farmer partners and customers around the world who are committed to the success of Silver Fern Farms. Having worked our way through a challenging period, we’ve now got real momentum in the business,” he says.
“Though I will be sad to leave Silver Fern Farms, I have real confidence that we’ve got the right people and capital resources to execute and win with our long-term plate to pasture strategy.”
Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford is claiming “some real success” on the 12 policy priorities it placed before the Coalition Government.
Federated Farmers is throwing its support behind the Fast-track Approvals Bill introduced by the Coalition Government to enable a fast-track decision-making process for infrastructure and development projects.
The latest report from ANZ isn’t good news for sheep farmers: lamb returns are forecast to remain low.
Divine table grapes that herald the start of a brand-new industry in Hawke’s Bay have been coming off vines in Maraekakaho.
In what appears to be a casualty of the downturn in the agricultural sector, a well-known machinery brand is now in the hands of liquidators and owing creditors $6.6 million.
One of New Zealand’s deepest breeder Jersey herds – known for its enduring connection through cattle with the UK’s longest reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II – will host its 75th anniversary celebration sale on-farm on April 22.