Farmers' call
OPINION: Fonterra's $4.22 billion consumer business sale to Lactalis is ruffling a few feathers outside the dairy industry.
NEW FONTERRA director Leonie Guiney says she is humbled by the farmer support.
Guiney won the Fonterra board elections along with two sitting directors- John Monaghan and David McLeod.
She took up her new position at Fonterra's annual meeting in Palmerston North today.
Guiney, an outspoken farmer from Fairlie, South Canterbury, has attacked Fonterra policies in the past.
She told the meeting that despite having issues with Fonterra's management, farmer shareholders were committed to the co-op.
"They are committed as long as they get a hearing," she says.
She noted that was essential for the co-op to be open for "two-way engagement".
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.