FARMERS IN the Horizons region say they could deny access to their properties to members of Fish and Game as a result of its stance on the infamous One Plan and the recently announced decisions on it from the Environment Court. 

FONTERRA CHIEF executive Theo Spierings is expected to announce this week that the co-op’s annual revenues have for the first time exceeded $20 billion. The achievement caps Spierings first year at the helm of the co-op. 

“WHEN FONTERRA sneezes a lot of people [may not] catch a cold but it makes a lot of them shiver,” says David Minnock an Irish dairy farmer from Co Offaly, west of Dublin. He was referring to the fact that when Fonterra auction prices drop, his company is quick to alter its prices as well.

JAMES MORRISSON’S recent article* is illuminating on cooperative purpose. It reminds us a cooperative exists first and foremost to serve its members, in Fonterra’s case to ensure the highest possible percentage of milk value ends up with the farmer.

THE MILK payout used to be the main driver of the farm property market, but not anymore, says Bayley’s country property specialist, John Barnett.

ABOUT 25% of dairy farms will “have significant liquidity risk” this year on current forecasts for costs and milk price, says DairyNZ senior economist Matt Newman.

AS THE soil starts warming up over the next few months, farmers will be preparing to fertilise their paddocks. For business efficiency and environmental protection it’s important to bear in mind the risks of applying too much fertiliser, and applying it in the wrong place or at the wrong time.

OVER HALF the papers at this year’s Grassland Association conference, November 6-8, are directly relevant to dairying, say the organisers.

TAKING EXTRA care of young stock and strategically adopting once-a-day (OAD) milking have allowed a Northland couple to halve their calving spread while increasing production. 

OPTIMUM FEEDING is a balance between the quantity of available feed and the quality of that feed.