With the surprise resignation of John Wilson, the Fonterra board has promoted long-time director John Monaghan as its new chair.
The Hound notes the contribution of former Fonterra chair ‘Little’ Johnny Wilson, who has stood down from the role due to ongoing health issues (How much of a dick does ‘Mouth of the North’ Shane ‘Porn-free’ Jones now feel about his cheap, nasty attack on Wilson at Fieldays?).
Your old mate reckons Trade Minister David Parker and his trade minions now trying to negotiate a free trade deal with the EU only need to look at the recent Tour de France to see how tough it is going to be in getting any FTA across the line.
A mate of the Hound’s – a good, salt-of-the-earth, southern bloke – tells this old mutt that he is less than impressed with claims made by the directors of rural insurance company FMG who are wanting an increase in director fees at the upcoming annual meeting.
Farmers should seize the opportunity to join a Red Meat Profit Partnership action group if they want to improve their profitability.
The sound heard emanating from the provinces this past month is a collective sigh of relief for what promises to be a new era in farm debt mediation; and it almost didn’t happen.
The current political climate has increased the emphasis in the media on how New Zealand will meet its international climate change commitments.
The recent High Court ruling that the Crown was negligent and breached its duty of care to kiwifruit growers affected by the damaging Psa disease a decade ago has huge implications for future biosecurity outbreaks.
Concerns about the impact of Mycoplasma bovis on the agriculture sector have seen New Zealand farmer confidence decline over the past quarter, the latest Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey shows.
Your canine crusader reckons Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor’s half-a-million-dollar-a-year white elephant – the Primary Industry Council (PIC) – is not only a huge waste of money but not even an original idea.
Concerns already exist in regional NZ about how wisely the ‘booty’ from the Government’s annual $1 billion provincial growth fund will be spent.
A mate of yours truly has questioned the wisdom of the dairy industry-good group DairyNZ promoting the position of the Northland farmer owner of the infamous cow-bashing sharemilker.
The Hound reckons Fonterra must have one of the largest teams of spin-doctors and PR hacks in corporate NZ.
Speaking of hyperbole and unsubstantiated claims, your canine crusader is getting tired of hearing the pompous, pretentious and self-important claims of Regional Development Minister Shane Jones.
The Hound can’t buy into all the over-the-top media gooing and ghaaing over a certain baby born to a certain working mother, earlier this month.
Your old mate can’t help but bask in an extreme case of schadenfreude (look it up) over the number of government workers lining up to go on strike unless they get big wage increases.
OPINION: Farmer subsidies don't help environmental issues.
OPINION: The Winter Solstice has passed, the nights are drawing out and National Fieldays has been and gone – hooray to all three.
Half a trillion dollars a year: that’s US$620billion or €556b annually.
If you think only dairy farmers are facing fire from the new coalition Government, think again.
When the Health and Safety at Work Act (HASWA) came into force two years ago there were misgivings and nervousness in the rural sector.
OPINION: The Good Farming Practice Action Plan for Water Quality shows tangibly that the primary sector and local and central government intend to work together to enhance streams and rivers.
When someone learns the skills to drive a big, expensive piece of farm machinery, a whole world of opportunity opens up.
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The Hound
Hello John
With the surprise resignation of John Wilson, the Fonterra board has promoted long-time director John Monaghan as its new chair.
Bye John
The Hound notes the contribution of former Fonterra chair ‘Little’ Johnny Wilson, who has stood down from the role due…