Wednesday, 10 May 2023 11:55

Wrong again!

Written by  The Hound

OPINION: Remember when the once-crumbling Westland Milk Products company was bought out by Chinese company Yili in 2019 and the howls of outrage and derision from current Minister of Agriculture and West Coast MP Damien O'Connor describing it as a 'sad day' for the West Coast?

However, some four years down the track, Westland Milk - under Yili's ownership - has gone from strength to strength. 

Not only is the company paying its farmers a 10c premium above Fonterra's payout, but last year it also surpassed $1 billion in annual revenue for the first time - making a profit of $39 million, with West Coast farmers receiving a record $9.40/kgMS for their milk in 2022.

Now the company is going to invest $70 million to expand its manufacturing of dairy protein lactoferrin.

The Hound reckons it looks like O'Connor has added to his long list of wrong calls when it comes to the NZ ag sector!

More like this

Drunk on power!

OPINION: The end-of-year booze-up at the posh Northern Club in Auckland must have been a beauty, as the legal 'elite' let their hair down and showed us how entitled and political some in the judiciary really are.

Time has come?

OPINION: It divides opinion, but the House has passed the first reading of the Gene Technology Bill.

Cut the fat!

OPINION: Finance Minister Nicola Willis has targeted cuts in the public service to balance the books, particularly the spend on consultants, drawing trenchant criticism from... consultants.

'Economic morons'

OPINION: The death of Dame Tariana Turia is a loss for the country and a reminder of how far the quality of politician has fallen in the party she founded.

Dark ages

OPINION: Before we all let The Green Party have at it with their 'bold' emissions reduction plan, the Hound thought it wise to run the numbers through the old Casio.

Featured

Fruit fly controls to remain in place

According to Biosecurity New Zealand, legal controls on the movement of fruit and vegetables in the South Auckland suburb of Papatoetoe will remain in place until mid-February.

NZ genetic engine version 6 launched

The rollout of the New Zealand Genetic Evaluation Version 6 is said to mark a step-change in the depth and breadth of genetic information available to both stud and commercial sheep breeders.

Harvest samples sought for crop nutrient project

Arable growers are being invited to supply samples of their harvested crops as part of a project which uses an alternative approach to determining how well they are managing their biggest input - fertiliser.

National

New insights into rural fire risk

New student research from the University of Canterbury in partnership with Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) could improve knowledge…

Embrace mechanical weeding now

Mechanical weeding is exploding in Europe because increasing resistance means they have "run out of herbicide", says Canterbury agronomist Charles…

China still a good option

The ongoing rise of the Chinese middle class will drag up demand for New Zealand products there in the future.

UAE FTA signed

New Zealand’s free trade deal with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has now been signed.

Machinery & Products

Batten Buddy - cleverly simple

Stopping livestock from escaping their environment is a “must do” for any farmers or landowners and at times can seem…

U10 Pro Highland a step up

A few weeks after driving the CF MOTO U10 Pro ‘entry level’ model, we’ve had a chance to test the…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Drunk on power!

OPINION: The end-of-year booze-up at the posh Northern Club in Auckland must have been a beauty, as the legal 'elite'…

Time has come?

OPINION: It divides opinion, but the House has passed the first reading of the Gene Technology Bill.

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter