EVERY SEPTEMBER the 87 shareholders of Waikato dairy processor Tatua receive a call from one of their six farmer-elected directors.

Waikato farm development organisation Dairy Solutionz (NZ) Ltd is set to open Corpoica, the company's first demonstration dairy farm in the high tropics.

DairyNZ will be running a series of workshops in November aimed at helping Canterbury dairy farmers decide on whether they should invest in off-paddock cow shelters such as barns.

Federated Farmers and Irrigation NZ hope to build interest in the Ruataniwha Water Storage Scheme with their free event next Tuesday.

THE CHIEF executive of the Foundation for Arable Research, FAR, says to date the drop in the price of milksolids isn’t affecting arable farmers.

FONTERRA’S EXPANSION strategy should go on hold when its farmer suppliers aren’t getting a good return, says a shareholder who has tabled a remit for the cooperative’s annual meeting November 12.

RETIRING Fonterra director Jim van der Poel is back on the board of DairyNZ having retired from it in 2009. He was one of five candidates for Barbara Kuriger’s seat on the board following Kuriger’s resignation in order to stand for Parliament.

STAFFING AND environment issues dominated the discussion at DairyNZ’s annual meeting earlier this month.

THE ROLE of the Dairy Women’s Network (DWN) is especially important this season when the resilience of farming families will come under pressure with the current milk forecast, says Jason Minkhorst, Farm Source managing director.

A FARMER focus will be at the centre of LIC’s ambitious strategy to at least quadruple business to $1 billion by 2025, says chief executive Wayne McNee.