AGRICULTURE - MSC NewsWire

Friday, 15 June 2018 08:09

Facing NZ’s farming future with confidence

At a time when farming is facing a number of challenges globally, Callaghan Innovation says New Zealand has a unique opportunity to capitalise on its reputation as one of the world’s four key agritech locations.

Source Callaghan Innovation

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Monday, 11 June 2018 08:00

M. bovis semen call ‘premature’: MPI

M. bovis arrived in New Zealand in 2014 or earlier.

European-sourced-semen - The Ministry for Primary Industries isn’t ruling out that the cattle disease Mycoplasma bovis arrived in New Zealand by European-sourced semen. David Williams reports for Newsroom.

Source/ReadMore Newsroom by David Williams

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Wednesday, 06 June 2018 08:26

Allflex introduces cow monitoring solution for beef farms

Allflex Livestock Intelligence, an Antelliq brand, has introduced the SenseTime Beef cow monitoring solution.

Source A Feedstuffs release

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Friday, 01 June 2018 08:55

Synlait increses 2017/2018 forecast milk price

Synlait Milk’s (NZX: SML; ASX: SM1) forecast base milk price for the 2017 / 2018 season has increased from $6.50 kgMS to $6.65 kgMS.

Source A Synlait release

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Wednesday, 30 May 2018 15:29

Co-op churns out West Coast gold

Independent milk processor Westland Milk has proven consumers’ key role in the company’s developing business strategies now the number three seller in the North Island.

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Wednesday, 30 May 2018 08:30

M bovis: How did we get here?

Farmers at the mycoplasma bovis meeting in Napier.

A RadioNZ Analysis on the Mbovis situation - Everyone's been playing catch-up since the Mycoplasma bovis outbreak - and everyone's blamed each other.

Source/ReadMore A RadioNZ release

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Tuesday, 29 May 2018 07:53

Cow plan relies on flawed tracking system

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Minister for Primary Industries, Damien O'Connor announce the plan to eradicate M. Bovis.

The Government plans to eradicate mycoplasma bovis over 10 years, but will start by allowing mass stock movements from Friday that rely on a discredited tracking system, Thomas Coughlan reports for Newsroom.

Source/ReadMore A Newsroom release

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Wednesday, 23 May 2018 14:55

Sheep and Beef welcomes agreement to start NZ-EU negotiation

Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) and the Meat Industry Association (MIA) welcome the start of the New Zealand-European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations following the agreement from all European Union Member States on the negotiating mandate.

Source/ReadMore A Meat Industry association release

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Wednesday, 23 May 2018 08:45

Fonterra announces strong forecast farmgate milk price for 2018/19 season

Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited today announced an opening forecast Farmgate Milk Price of $7.00 per kgMS for the 2018/19 season.

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Monday, 21 May 2018 07:43

Challenges and urgent solutions needed for NZ agritech

New Zealand’s agri sector is facing challenges that require urgent solutions, the inaugural executive director of the new Agritech New Zealand organisation Peter Wren-Hilton says.

Source/ReadMore A MakeLemonade Release

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Thursday, 17 May 2018 09:54

Deer farmers improving water quality

To keep waterways clean, deer farmers are fencing their deer out of streams and taking measures to keep valuable soil where it belongs – on the farm, growing grass.

Source/ReadMore A Deer IndustryNZ release

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Thursday, 17 May 2018 09:11

Research proves value of traceability in dairy industry

New research by Victoria University of Wellington PhD student Melissa Welsh has the potential to transform New Zealand’s dairy industry by improving the traceability of products moving through the supply chain.

Source/ReadMore A Victoria University release

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Thursday, 17 May 2018 07:37

New Zealand can do better in the world of agritech

because it has such great potential for its agriculture industry and monetising big tech investment offshore, a San Diego-based Kiwi from Wellington says.

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Tuesday, 15 May 2018 14:56

No MPI plans for extra cattle movement restrictions on Gypsy Day

Changing farms on so-called Gypsy Day, when large numbers of farmers shift stock, requires extra precaution because of Mycoplasma bovis but the Ministry for Primary Industries won't prevent animal movements beyond the 300 or so farms under some form of

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Sunday, 13 May 2018 16:29

Use of 'extremely toxic' fumigant avoidable - inventor

A United States-based chemical engineer has rubbished claims that no safe alternative exists for fumigating export timber and logs. New Zealand's Environmental Protection Authority has recently allowed the industry to apply to have a critical deadline extended on the use of methyl bromide. The Authority said eight years ago that users would need to have new technology in place by 2020 to collect and store the used gas after fumigation, preventing its spread into the atmosphere. Methyl Bromide is described by the EPA as an "extremely toxic and ozone-depleting substance" and is banned except for use on logs and timber…

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agritech

Friday, 11 May 2018 08:34

Smart software sniffs sick strain of Salmonella

Two researchers from the University of Canterbury and another from the Helmholtz Institute have developed machine-learning software that can predict how dangerous a particular strain of Salmonella will be, according to a paper published in PLOS Genetics this week [9 May NZ time].

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Thursday, 10 May 2018 14:43

Black market in calf sales, lack of NAIT compliance hamper MPI efforts to respond to M.Bovis

A black market in cattle sales and a lack of compliance with the National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) regime by farmers is hampering the Ministry for Primary Industries' efforts to respond to Mycoplasma bovis, which is now New Zealand's large

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Monday, 07 May 2018 14:46

NZ's energy exploration ban adds risk to investment in fertiliser production, Ballance says

The ban on new offshore gas exploration has made it harder for fertiliser cooperative Ballance Agri-Nutrients to settle on the future for its plant at Kapuni, which is New Zealand's only ammonia-urea facility

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Monday, 07 May 2018 10:43

Promising outcomes from Alliance Group’s hogget pilot

Leading food company Alliance Group has reported promising outcomes from a pilot programme marketing hogget as a premium product as the co-operative seeks to capture more value for farmer shareholders.

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Monday, 07 May 2018 07:16

Ravensdown pilots new effluent technology

Break through effluent technology unveiled by Ravensdown and Lincoln University in Canterbury technology that could significantly lift the dairy sector’s effluent and water efficiency.

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Thursday, 12 April 2018 15:20

NZ’s national rural health group’s future in the balance

RHAANZ chief executive Michelle Thompson

The future of The Rural Health Alliance Aoteroa New Zealand (RHAANZ) is in the balance tonight after the government has failed to promise support of the national rural health group.

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Friday, 06 April 2018 08:19

Govt may force NZ’s umbrella rural health organisation to close

Apr 06, 2018 - New Zealand’s umbrella rural health organisation will move to shut down if it does not receive government funding next week. The Rural Health Alliance Aotearoa New Zealand (RHAANZ) today agreed that it will cease operating should the government not provide some core funding support. RHAANZ first presented a funding bid to the Minister of Rural Communities Damien O’Connor and the Minister of Health David Clark back in November last year and due to unfortunate delays on their behalf, it still does not have an answer, chief executive Michelle Thompson says. “Our financial situation is now precarious.…

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Thursday, 05 April 2018 10:10

Synlait to double lactoferrin capacity following new supply agreement

Apr 05, 2018 - Synlait Milk (NZX: SML; ASX: SM1) has secured a multiyear lactoferrin supply agreement[1] that will underwrite an investment of approximately $18 million to double lactoferrin manufacturing capacity at Synlait Dunsandel.

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Tuesday, 27 March 2018 13:08

Connect your cow for $1.79 per month, via Spark

Spark has launched its LoRaWAN low powered wide area network for IoT, saying it will enable a farmer to get hourly updates on the location and body temperature of its cows for $1.79 per month.

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Wednesday, 14 March 2018 20:37

$11 million advanced technology investment set to deliver 70% reduction in water use at Darfield

Mar 14, 2018 - Construction is underway on an advanced plant that will reduce the amount of groundwater extracted for Fonterra’s Darfield manufacturing site by around 70 per cent. Darfield is already a world leading facility and the $11 million investment in water processing technology will have a significant impact on its environmental footprint. “Thanks to the new plant we’ll save the equivalent of around 100 tanker loads of water every day,” says Robert Spurway, Head of Fonterra’s Global Operations. “As well as reducing water use, the new technology also decreases the amount of water the site discharges for irrigation.…

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Tuesday, 13 March 2018 14:59

Fonterra NZMP cheese and butter win international honours at 2018 World Championship Cheese Contest

Mar 13, 2018 - New Zealand cheese continues to turn heads on the international stage, with Fonterra named category runner-up for its NZMP three-to-six month Cheddar Cheese in the 2018 World Championship Cheese Contest. NZMP Unsalted Butter was also runner up in its category in the prestigious competition held in the United States over the last week.The bi-annual competition features the cream of the cheese and butter world, with products from 26 countries vying for top honours. This year’s competition attracted a record-breaking 3,402 entries in over 120 categories. The Fonterra NZMP Cheddar Cheese is crafted at Fonterra’s Stirling site…

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Tuesday, 13 March 2018 14:39

Dairying not all bad, tourism not all good

Is dairying the worst offender when it comes to environment protection? Is dairying the worst offender when it comes to environment protection? Writes Alastair Frizzell, managing director of Frizzell Agricultural Electronics in an article on Dairy News.

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Tuesday, 27 February 2018 09:00

Synlait acquires Pokeno site for infant formula growth

Feb 27, 2018 - Synlait (NZX: SML; ASX: SM1) has conditionally purchased 28 hectares of land in Pokeno, North Waikato, to establish their second nutritional powder manufacturing site. Currently an undeveloped site in New Zealand’s North Island, Synlait expects to invest around $260 million in the coming years as we establish our infant base powder manufacturing capability at the site.

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Wednesday, 21 February 2018 08:50

Fonterra and the A2 Milk Company form comprehensive strategic relationship

Feb 21, 2018 - Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited (Fonterra) and The a2 Milk Company (a2MC) have today entered into a comprehensive strategic relationship that links Fonterra’s global milk pool and supply chain, manufacturing capability and in-market sales and distribution capacity with a2MC’s brand strength and capabilities. As part of the partnership, Fonterra will now begin conversations with its farmers to source an A2 milk pool for a2MC products in New Zealand, which is intended to significantly expand over time to help meet the growing demand for a2MC products. A similar milk pool in Australia will also be developed. Announcing the…

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Monday, 29 January 2018 08:50

Synlait’s 2017 / 2018 forecast milk price remains steady at $6.50

Jan 29, 2018 - Synlait Milk (NZX: SML; ASX: SM1) has reaffirmed its milk price forecast of $6.50 kgMS for the 2017 / 2018 season. However the company has signalled that this forecast is dependent on commodity prices continuing to firm for the rest of the season.

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Thursday, 25 January 2018 10:16

Synlait Milk Limited announcement

Jan 25, 2018 - Synlait (NZX: SML; ASX: SM1) will welcome Dr Suzan Horst to the Senior Leadership Team on 1 April as Director of Quality, Regulatory and Laboratory Services. Managing Director and CEO John Penno says Dr Horst is a leading authority in the global dairy industry and has much to offer Synlait.

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Friday, 19 January 2018 10:25

New Zealand: Sweetcorn harvest underway

Jan 18, 2018 - On January 16, Cedenco Foods New Zealand Ltd. started its annual sweetcorn harvest, and the company expects a bigger yield than last year. More than 40,000 tonnes of corn is to be picked over the next three months.

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Wednesday, 17 January 2018 21:10

Minister talks food security at Green Week

Jan 17, 2018 - Minister of Agriculture Damien O’Connor travels to Europe today to speak at the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture, held during International Green Week in Berlin. The forum’s theme is “shaping the future of livestock – sustainably, responsibly, efficiently”. New Zealand’s leading role in the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases was a large factor in the invitation to take part in the forum. “The global challenge is to produce more food with less emissions intensity – this requires research and innovation and is key to meeting the projected increase in worldwide food demand of…

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Thursday, 04 January 2018 09:27

Silver Fern Farms reduce already inadequate offer after industrial action

Jan 4, 2018 - Nineteen maintenance workers at Silver Fern Farms Takapau are very disappointed that instead of improving their offer after today’s strike action, the company has made the offer even worse. Before the workers took industrial action, the company had offered a 1.5% increase as back pay for the nine months prior, followed by 2% increase at the time of settlement.

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Wednesday, 20 December 2017 08:22

Alliance Group’s Pure South Lamb to be showcased at major Chinese online sales event

Dec 20, 2017 - Pure South lamb from leading food company Alliance Group is to feature at one of China’s major online sales events this week. The lamb will be showcased in a three-day online sales promotion run through Tmall, a Chinese-language business-to-consumer online retail venture, operated by e-commerce giant Alibaba Group. Tmall is the largest business-to-consumer retail platform in Asia with almost 500 million users annually. Alliance Group has been selected as a strategic partner and New Zealand’s only lamb producer for the promotion, which will run from 20-22 December. The launch of the sales event will feature a…

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Thursday, 14 December 2017 15:29

Alliance group well-placed to deliver further gains to farmers

Dec 14, 2017 - Alliance Group is exceeding its target for achieving gains from its business strategy and forging ahead with plans to further lift the co-operative’s performance, farmer shareholders were told at the co-operative’s Annual Meeting in Te Anau today. Murray Taggart, chair of Alliance Group, said the co-operative’s ongoing programme of strategy projects captured $48.8 million in value this year.“The value captured from our strategy projects is a major factor driving our ability to offer competitive farm gate pricing and invest in the company.“Alliance’s improved profitability means we will be distributing $11.4 million in pool payments to our…

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Wednesday, 13 December 2017 14:58

O'Connor announces stronger focus for MPI

Dec 13, 2017 - Minister for Agriculture, Biosecurity, Food Safety and Rural Communities Damien O’Connor announced today that the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) will reorganise its functions to create a stronger focus on core responsibilities. Mr O’Connor says government will set up four portfolio-based entities, Fisheries New Zealand, Forestry New Zealand, Biosecurity New Zealand and New Zealand Food Safety. “Our priority is to achieve greater clarity and unity of purpose for these areas. We are seeking enhanced visibility of government policy and regulatory activities and clearer lines of accountability and engagement for stakeholders. “We are now looking to the…

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Tuesday, 12 December 2017 08:25

Booming sector ready for new challenges

Dec 12, 2017 - The growth in New Zealand’s primary industry exports is impressive and provides the sector a strong base to deal with the challenges ahead, says Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor. The latest Situation and Outlook for Primary Industries report shows the sector’s exports will grow by 8.5 per cent in 2018, to $41.4 billion. “This would be the largest annual increase since 2014 when dairy prices rose to very high levels,” says Mr O’Connor. “Growth this year is spread across all sectors and these gains are expected to be built on a more sustainable foundation.” Mr O’Connor says…

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Thursday, 07 December 2017 10:13

Fonterra revises 2017/18 forecast farmgate milk price

Dec 7, 2017 - Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited today reduced its forecast Farmgate Milk Price for the 2017/18 season from $6.75 to $6.40 per kgMS and updated the market on its financial results for the first three months of the 2018 financial year. Chairman John Wilson says the lower forecast Farmgate Milk Price reflects a prudent approach to ongoing volatility in the global dairy market. The GlobalDairyTrade price for whole milk powder is a big influencer of the Farmgate Milk Price and it has declined by almost 10 percent since 1 August 2017. “While the result of the arbitration with…

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Tuesday, 21 November 2017 20:27

Coconut growers in the South Pacific get a fair go

Nov 21, 2017 - Fairtrade Australia & New Zealand has brokered an unprecedented partnership investment of AUD$1.14 million to support smallholder coconut growers in Samoa. The investment partnership, supported by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) Business Partnerships Platform, will expand the opportunities for Samoan coconut cream producers Krissy Co Ltd. and the Savai’i Coconut Farmers Association (SCFA). The Business Partnerships Platform boosts private sector investments with companies like Krissy Co. This partnership will enable a two-year project to increase the capacity of the supply chain producing the Fairtrade certified coconut cream Savai’i Popo, scaling up Krissy…

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Tuesday, 21 November 2017 08:13

Synlait Auckland officially opened, doubles infant formula packaging capacity

Nov 21 2017 - Synlait Milk (NZX: SML; ASX: SM1) has opened its new Auckland site, which is home to its second state -of-the-art blending and consumer packaging facility. Located in Mangere, the site was officially opened today by Auckland Mayor Phil Goff at a ceremony alongside all staff. “We’re expecting customer demand for consumer packaged products to increase significantly in the near term,” said John Penno, Synlait’s Managing Director and CEO. “We’ve invested $55 million into our Auckland site to meet this demand and expect commercial production to start here in the coming week.” With an annual packaging capacity…

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Thursday, 16 November 2017 07:44

Deer velvet joint venture aims for a “world-first”

16 Nov 2017 - The NZ deer industry has agreed to support one of South Korea’s largest pharmaceutical companies in its plans to develop and market a product with proven health benefits based on NZ deer velvet. The Chief Executive of Yuhan Corporation Mr Jung Hee Lee, and the Chief Executive of Deer Industry New Zealand (DINZ), Mr Dan Coup, this morning signed a memorandum of understanding in Wellington, witnessed by the Minister of Agriculture Damien O’Connor and the Ambassador for the Republic of Korea, Mr Seung-bae Yeo. Mr Lee said Yuhan’s objective is to successfully develop, register and market…

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Wednesday, 15 November 2017 08:28

Greenpeace petition misrepresents irrigation facts say IrrigationNZ

15 Nov 2017 - IrrigationNZ says that the petition presented by Greenpeace at Parliament yesterday misrepresents how irrigation has been funded and used and ignores the wide range of benefits to New Zealand from irrigation, as well as the efforts being made to address environmental issues. “Greenpeace has presented a petition seeking to stop government funding of irrigation schemes. The petition is misleading as the majority of money provided to irrigation schemes by Crown Irrigation Investments has been in the form of loans which have to be paid back with interest,” says Andrew Curtis IrrigationNZ Chief Executive. “The loan funding…

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Wednesday, 08 November 2017 11:38

Fonterra takes stake in Lithuanian dairy producer to strengthen supply chain

08 Nov 2017 - New Zealand’s Fonterra Co-operative Group has deepened a long-standing commercial agreement with Lithuania’s biggest dairy producer, AB Rokiskio Suris, taking a 10 percent shareholding in the company. Ranked by Rabobank as the world’s sixth largest dairy company by turnover in 2017, Fonterra has invested €7.1 million (US$8.2 million) in Rokiskio, securing a supply line of high-value whey ingredients while opening up product options across Europe and the Middle East. It also creates the opportunity to source additional dairy products from the Baltic milk pool to serve the increasing demand from nearby developing markets. Fonterra Chairman John…

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Friday, 20 October 2017 10:00

The Omega Lamb Project wins at New Zealand Innovation Award

The programme behind a new kind of premium lamb, which has sparked a sensation among chefs in New Zealand and Hong Kong, has won a prestigious innovation award. The Omega Lamb Project, which has developed TE MANA LAMB, won the Innovation in Food and Beverage category at the New Zealand Innovation Awards, which recognises innovation among New Zealand individuals and businesses. TE MANA LAMB has higher levels of polyunsaturated (good) fats and omega-3 fatty acids, which results in an entirely new lamb taste experience with outstanding succulence, tenderness and flavour. Now on the menu of a limited number of exclusive…

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Thursday, 12 October 2017 11:42

New biocontrol released to control Tomato Potato Psyllid

TPP parasitised v healthy comparison with scale_04.jpg - A healthy TPP nymph alongside a parasitized nymph (showing exit hole).

A new biocontrol Tamarixia trioaze, a parasitoid wasp which destroys the Tomato Potato Psyllid (TPP) pest, has been released in Hawke’s Bay and Canterbury. These initial releases are the start of a wider planned release and monitoring programme that is being supported with funding through the government’s Sustainable Farming Fund (SFF). The Tomato Potato Psyllid has caused enormous problems for the potato, tomato, capsicum and tamarillo growers in New Zealand since it was discovered here in 2006. Since then, the industry has been waging a battle to control this insect pest. Tamarixia, a tiny wasp that lays its eggs on…

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Friday, 06 October 2017 10:32

Alliance delivers on strategy

Leading food company Alliance Group announced today it is investing $54 million in capital expenditure in the co-operative over the next year as its annual road-show is held across the country. Alliance Group chief executive David Surveyor said the success of the business strategy meant the co-operative was in a position to re-invest in continuing to build the company’s operational performance. In addition to a pool payment, the company will have a bonus share issue and reward farmer shareholders by increasing their shareholding in the co-operative. The level will be based upon the supply of lambs, sheep, cattle, calves and…

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Tuesday, 19 September 2017 13:47

NZ company to unveil its newest electric farm bike at ‘Ploughing’ 2017 in Ireland

New Zealand company Ubco will officially unveil its newest electric farm bike on the first day of the National Ploughing Championships in Screggan, Tullamore, Co. Offaly, Ireland Ubco’s 2018 dual electric drive (2X2) utility bike aims to allow farmers to ride silently alongside their herd while saving on costs and reducing environmental damage. In the past, the Kiwi company has received acclaim for previous models of the bike in the US, Australia and New Zealand. Ubco chose to unveil its new model for the first time in Ireland “due to its influential farming community and its suitability for the Irish…

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Thursday, 07 September 2017 10:04

Japanese beef ‘squeeze’ if TPP fails – warning

Trade expert Stephen Jacobi warns of a Japanese beef squeeze if TPP does not progress.

On the Rural News website Pam Tipa writes that Trade expert Stephen Jacobi warns that if we don’t get Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) through, we will be seriously ‘squeezed’ in the Japanese market. This will be particularly in beef, but also in a wide range of primary products, he says. “The Europeans and the Australians now have free trade agreements and the Australians already have a very strong advantage over us in beef and the Europeans will have that too once their agreement is ratified,” Jacobi, the executive director of the NZ International Business Forum, told Rural News. “The Japanese…

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Thursday, 07 September 2017 08:36

Nicole Austin's Lambing docking design a Dyson winner

Nicola Austin and her lamb docking iron.

Massey University industrial design graduate Nicole Austin’s re-modelled lamb docking or tailing iron has won the top prize in the New Zealand section of the James Dyson Award. In the 17 years the award has been run in New Zealand it is the first time a woman has won the award. “It’s pretty exciting. Now that women are becoming more engaged in industrial design, it’s nice to be able to represent that,” Ms Austin says. The global product design competition celebrates, encourages and inspires the next generation of design engineers. Ms Austin’s design, called Moray, helps eliminate repetitive strain injury…

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Wednesday, 30 August 2017 16:08

NZ rural health group mostly happy with government support

New Zealand’s major national rural health group says they are happy the government has committed to ensuring 74,000 more rural further homes to be connected for mobile phone reception. The Rural Health Alliance of Aotearoa New Zealand (RHAANZ) says all the homes to get fibre wi-fi are in small and tiny rural towns as well as extending urban edges. The alliance has concerns and wants assurances that there will not be any extra costs to small town New Zealand to subsidise high costs for rural connections. The Government announced today it is investing $270 million to roll out Ultra-Fast Broadband…

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Monday, 28 August 2017 15:06

Euro tour shows Kiwis machinery future

The Power Farming Euro Tour saw 63 New Zealand farmers, contractors and dealers hit Italy and Germany to see the latest tractor technologies from the SDF Group including production of the series 6, 7 and 9 Deutz Fahr. The Power Farming Euro Tour saw 63 New Zealand farmers, contractors and dealers hit Italy and Germany to see the latest tractor technologies from the SDF Group including production of the series 6, 7 and 9 Deutz Fahr. While the All Blacks were well into planning their end-of-year tour, another group of Kiwis headed to the northern hemisphere in the middle of…

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Wednesday, 02 August 2017 20:22

New Zealand drill the choice for Penola contractor

SOUTH Australian contractor Nick Pratt’s new Duncan AS6100 folding tine drill is living up to expectations. Mr Pratt is owner of Emu Ridge Ag Contracting based from Penola, fifty kilometres north of Mount Gambier. He primarily concentrates his business on hay baling and pasture renovation. "“I feel that farmers need to get more out of the land they have got. With beef prices being on a high, it’s a good time for farmers to improve their pastures.”" - Nick Pratt The business purchased the new 6.1m wide AS6100 drill in April. He was previously using a 26-row another brand of…

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Tuesday, 01 August 2017 20:25

$600m in NZ meat industry takeovers

Pam Tipa writes in Rural News that almost $600 million flowed into the meat industry from outside New Zealand in the last 18 months. Overseas firms looked to secure NZ beef and lamb and strengthen their global agrifood positions, says a new report. Investors chiefly from China and Japan bought in, says the report ‘Investors Guide to the NZ Meat industry 2017’, released in June. It was commissioned by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and prepared by Coriolis. | A RuralNews releas || August 1, 2017 |||

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Thursday, 15 June 2017 10:26

Impassioned plea for rural health research funding

The head of the national rural health group today made an impassioned plea for the government to consider much-needed rural research. Michelle Thompson, chief executive of the Rural Health Alliance Aotearoa New Zealand (RHAANZ) says there is a strong feeling that rural health outcomes are poorer than urban health outcomes but until they have the hard data they can’t be sure whether there is a difference or understand the scale of the difference. Earlier this year the RHAANZ presented its five most urgent priorities to government, one of which included comprehensive rural health research support. “It’s been such a relief…

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Wednesday, 14 June 2017 17:12

Climate Change: Dairy gears up to lower greenhouse gas emissions

Modern, science-based farming is the way to achieve a future for New Zealand where dairy farming has a lower environmental footprint, says DairyNZ’s chief executive, Dr Tim Mackle. His comment follows today’s announcement of the Dairy Action for Climate Change at National Fieldays. The Dairy Action for Climate Change lays down the foundation to reduce greenhouse gasses on dairy farms. The plan is spearheaded by DairyNZ, which represents all dairy farmers in New Zealand, and is in partnership with Fonterra. The plan has the support of the Ministry for the Environment and the Ministry for Primary Industries. Dr Mackle says…

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Wednesday, 14 June 2017 13:21

NZ agriculture needs to latch onto tech faster

New Zealand’s primary industries need to latch on to technology faster to support the economic growth of its agri sector and become a world leader in a fast growing agritech market, NZTech chief executive Graeme Muller says. NZTech members have joined hundreds of other firms at Fieldays in Hamilton this week as technology becomes increasingly important for the New Zealand agri sector. A growing awareness of the value of technology in agriculture can be seen by the number of farmers looking into technologies such as IoT, drones, sensors and robotics, Muller says. “A report by the IoT Alliance, due for…

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Tuesday, 13 June 2017 08:42

John Deere Introduces 4640 Universal Display for Tractors

The new John Deere 4640 Universal Display raises the bar for performance, uptime and cost of operation as part of the latest John Deere Generation 4 Operating System. For customers, this translates into better data collection, increased application functionality, and greater choice for monitoring and managing many tractor-driven field operations. The new 4640 Universal Display enables customers to use the most common and popular John Deere applications, including AutoTrac™, documentation, and Section Control, in a portable display that has the latest internal components, design and user interface. "The new 4640 Universal Display provides a transportable, easy-to-operate solution for customers with…

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Sunday, 28 May 2017 14:14

Lives of rural NZ at risk

The lives of rural New Zealanders are at risk every day because of poor connectivity and inequitable health services, a rural health leader says. Dr Martin London, chair of the Rural Health Alliance of Aotearoa New Zealand (RHAANZ), says government needs to help remove barriers so rural people’s health be considered just as important as those who live in cities. RHAANZ has 47 national member organisations encompassing rural health providers, agribusiness groups, universities, rural community groups and local government. This week it held a series of national rural conferences and meetings in Wellington. Later, London met Health Minister Jonathan Coleman…

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primary sector news

Friday, 26 May 2017 09:35

Synlait appoints General manager of Manufacturing

Synlait Milk (NZX: SML; ASX: SM1) has welcomed Antony Moess to the Senior Leadership Team as General Manager, Manufacturing. With more than 20 years’ international experience in the dairy industry, Mr Moess has worked in a number of countries including New Zealand, South East Asia and the Middle East. "Antony has held a number of senior roles throughout his career and we are looking look forward to utilising that experience in our Senior Leadership Team," says John Penno, Managing Director and CEO. Most recently Mr Moess was based in Singapore as Fonterra Brand’s General Manager Operations and Supply Chain for…

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Agriculture

Tuesday, 16 May 2017 11:34

Malaysian businesses urged to work with Māori business

Māori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell has told Malaysian businesses they can rely on high quality, fresh and safe food and beverage products from Aotearoa New Zealand. Speaking at a business matching event to introduce Malaysian businesses to Māori business leaders Mr Flavell says there is a huge untapped potential to work together in the food and beverage sector. “It’s one we know well, because we have been growing and gathering kai in Aotearoa New Zealand for hundreds of years,” says Mr Flavell. Mr Flavell, who is on his first Māori business and cultural mission to Malaysia this week, says…

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Tuesday, 16 May 2017 09:25

Fences to Chicago and back but still a long way to go

DairyNZ is hailing the fact that 97 percent of dairy cattle are now fenced off from waterways, but its latest Water Accord report reveals a significant worsening of reported nutrient leaching in the areas with the biggest new conversions, reports Lynn Grieveson on NewsroomPro DairyNZ described the fencing on waterways as going from Cape Reinga to Bluff 12 times, and Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy had it going to Chicago and back - but they both agreed the 26,197 kilometres of fencing stopping cattle from getting into streams, rivers and lakes was something to celebrate. And while farmers are congratulating…

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Thursday, 11 May 2017 10:18

Advanced optical nitrate sensor for groundwater

May 11 - Lincoln Agritech has unveiled an advanced optical nitrate sensor for groundwater which it says will bring a paradigm shift in New Zealand’s groundwater management.

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primary sector news

Thursday, 11 May 2017 09:51

Claas to build a new test centre

LEADING European farm machinery manufacturer, CLAAS, who are represented throughout New Zealand is significantly increasing its research and development capacities with the construction of a new test centre at the company’s headquarters in Harsewinkel, Germany. Due to open early next year, the €15 million facility will merge several test laboratories at the site into a single, state-of-the-art complex. The new complex will boast 8,000 square metres of floor space – the equivalent of about 40 full-size tennis courts – and more than 200 individual workstations and laboratories. The centre will enable CLAAS to test the performance and reliability of components…

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Wednesday, 10 May 2017 11:00

Switching to organic farming is paying off for a Waikato farmer.

John Vosper loading Jersey Girl organic milk into the truck for delivery.

John Vosper’s family farm Cleavedale in Matamata went organic in 2003 and two years ago launched the Jersey Girl Organics brand; now the bottled milk is sold North Island-wide and fresh milk is available from two vending machines in Tauranga and Mount Maunganui. The business won the outstanding producer dairy primary award at the recent Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards. Vosper told Dairy News the win affirms “we are on the right track; we are pleased to win award”. He sees a growing demand for organics in New Zealand. “Customers are increasingly concerned about where their food is coming from…

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Tuesday, 09 May 2017 07:18

Manuka Health unveils $3.5 million Wairarapa Apiculture Centre

From left to right: John Kippenberger CEO Manuka Health, Hon David Bennett Minister for Food Safety, John Booth Mayor of Carterton, Alastair Scott local MP Wairarapa

Manuka Health has officially opened its expanded national apiculture business after a $3.5million build that will significantly expand the organisation’s export capacity. Joining CEO John Kippenberger, the Minister for Food Safety Hon David Bennett opened the Manuka Health Wairarapa Apiculture Centre in an event attended by MP for the Wairarapa, Alastair Scott; Mayor John Booth of Carterton District Council; Chief Executive of Carterton District Council, Jane Davis; industry and government representatives; neighbours; beekeeper partners; site design and build companies; and Manuka Health staff. At the event Minister Bennett planted the last of 2,000 native plants that complete the build; a…

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Thursday, 04 May 2017 10:15

Advantage of NZ's GE-Free Positioning

The ability for regions to declare themselves GE-Free in crops, forestry, and grasses won with the support of the Maori Party is a marketing advantage. New Zealand’s free trade deal with China, our biggest market, has seen investment in New Zealand because of the assurance of quality and GE-Free status. A Nielsen survey showed that 70% of Chinese consumers were avoiding GMOs in foods and actively seeking to buy GE-free produce.[1] Responding to USA consumer demand, Fonterra has also launched products specifying their GE-free status.[2] These real-world market trends signal the significance of the third reading of the Resource Legislation…

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Friday, 28 April 2017 08:33

NZ dairy expansion will hit limits as environmental impact grows, must chase value, Guy says

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy says there is a limit to further dairy intensification in New Zealand and growing exports in the future will depend more on increasing the value of products rather than the volume. The number of dairy cattle in New Zealand has surged as farmers were lured by higher prices for dairy products while demand for sheepmeat and wool waned. The latest agricultural statistics for 2016 show New Zealand had 6.5 million dairy cattle, up from just 2.9 million four decades ago. Dairy products are the country's largest commodity export worth $11.3 billion in the year through…

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Thursday, 27 April 2017 12:15

Meat co-ops search for winning formula

New Zealand's two big meat co-ops, Silver Fern Farms and Alliance Group have both had new CEOs at the helm for the past two years, each charged with improving returns to their farmer-shareholders. Dean Hamilton and David Surveyor talked to Tony Benny from NZFarmer Continue here to full article || April 27, 2017 |||

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Wednesday, 19 April 2017 11:28

Important Data to Help Reduce In-Transit Produce Waste

Whether it’s apples from New Zealand or bananas from Ecuador, produce often travels great distances to get to the consumer and loss due to spoilage or other problems along the supply chain is costly and wasteful. But Swiss scientists have come up with a new sensor that could help solve this issue. The temperature sensing device created by Empa Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology looks and acts like a piece of fruit, down to its shape, size, surface texture, color, and internal composition. The self-powered wireless electronic sensor is surrounded by a solid shell made of polystyrene…

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Tuesday, 11 April 2017 12:44

The Putauaki Trust in Bay of Plenty hopes to have its own milk powder plant by 2019.

A new Maori-owned new dairy factory is being planned for the Kawerau region, modelled on the first Maori dairy company Miraka, near Taupo. The new plant, to make milk powder, will use geothermal power owned by Putauaki Trust, one of the Maori trusts in the project. Miraka has just such a deal with one of its geothermal power-owning partner trusts. Maori leader Tiaki Hunia, a leader in the development, is chairman of the Putauaki Trust which has dairy farms around Te Teko and Kawerau. One of the farms, Himiona, named after his late father, was a finalist in the Ahuwhenua…

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Agriculture

Friday, 07 April 2017 20:48

New Zealand grower Bostock, processes loads more onions!

Leading New Zealand grower, Bostock New Zealand, is processing a whopping 100 tonnes of onions per hour with new automated handling equipment from Tong Engineering. Based in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand, in what is claimed to be one of the cleanest and purest growing environments in the world, Bostock New Zealand has been exporting a wide variety of quality produce including onions, apples and kiwi fruit for over 30 years. As part of the company’s commitment to producing premium produce, Bostock needed to increase the capacity and efficiency of their onion handling process, and Tong equipment, supplied by their local…

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Sunday, 19 March 2017 13:59

Rural health a key election issue

Waipukurau – New Zealand is potentially at risk of damaging its economy, unless the government does not act on improving rural health services, a national rural leader says. Michelle Thompson, chief executive of the Rural Health Alliance Aotearoa New Zealand (RHAANZ), says rural New Zealanders do not receive equitable health services. She says Kiwis in cities receive far better health support than in rural areas. The RHAANZ met politicians in Parliament this week and pleaded for a much better health deal for rural people. Economic powerhouses “Agriculture and tourism are the powerhouses of our economy. Each year, more than two…

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Friday, 17 March 2017 13:56

New Zealand-Argentina agricultural agreement signed

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy has signed an Agricultural Cooperation Arrangement with Argentina today, aimed at building closer relationships between the two countries. The Arrangement was signed at the Central District Fieldays in Feilding today with Argentina’s Secretary of Agriculture, Ricardo Negri, during his three day visit to New Zealand. “New Zealand and Argentina have a close relationship, particularly in agricultural sciences,” says Mr Guy. “This new Arrangement creates a framework for greater cooperation between our two countries in the agricultural, livestock and agro-industrial sectors, including opportunities for technical exchanges, joint research, innovation and value addition. “Two-way trade between Argentina…

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Thursday, 09 March 2017 10:16

Central District Field Days - only one week to go

Farmers, families and more than 550 agribusinesses and organisations are readying for ‘the best day off the farm’ as the opening of Central Districts Field Days, New Zealand’s largest regional agricultural field day event, approaches on Thursday 16 March. Manfeild Park in Feilding will come to life as a temporary city during the three-day event. Set to host more than 30,000 visitors from across the country, it provides an opportunity to soak up a cross-section of heartland New Zealand farming all in one place. Topically interesting attractions For the first time, the event will feature the new ASB Innovation Zone…

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Thursday, 09 March 2017 07:35

New youth opportunities in agriculture sector

TeenAg, an agriculture sector youth programme run by New Zealand Young Farmers, will receive $146,000 of support under a new partnership announced today by Youth Minister Nikki Kaye. “This is about supporting more young people to develop skills such as leadership and learn about potential career opportunities in the primary sector, which is such a vital part of our economy,” says Ms Kaye. “TeenAg aims to promote a positive picture of agriculture and raise awareness of agricultural careers from an early age. “The funding announced today will support around 500 more young people to participate in the programme.” TeenAg consists…

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Monday, 06 March 2017 09:24

Grass-fed Gold

New Zealand’s sheep and beef farmers have a profound story to tell about where and how our meat is produced, says Mike Lee. New Zealand’s sheep and beef farmers are sitting on a grass-fed gold mine. This is according to Mike Lee, the CEO and founder of New York-based food design and innovation agency Studio Industries, who says this country’s farmers have a great story to tell consumers hungry to know where and how their meat is produced. Visiting this country, Lee says it is about creating the profound out of the mundane – and for NZ sheep and beef…

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Wednesday, 01 March 2017 07:24

Wood technology investment in forestry sector

Economic Development Minister Simon Bridges and Science and Innovation Minister Paul Goldsmith today announced $2 million funding for a wood-processing facility which uses automation and robotics to turn low-value pine trees into high-value wood products. This is just one of the local initiatives announced at the release of the Tairāwhiti Economic Action Plan in Gisborne. “Forestry is a major employer in the region and this funding accelerates research and development in this sector. This technology from Wood Engineering Technology Ltd ensures that even low value ‘pulp’ logs, or forestry blocks on remote sites, can become economically viable,” says Mr Bridges.…

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Wednesday, 22 February 2017 15:01

Report finds New Zealand loses billions to trade barriers each year

Trade barriers cost New Zealand billions of dollars annually, according to an NZIER report for the Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand (DCANZ). The report, titled Dairy trade’s economic contribution to New Zealand, highlights the strong contribution the dairy sector has continued to make to New Zealand’s national and regional economic development, even while it has been at the bottom of a price cycle, and despite global dairy markets remaining highly distorted. “Trade barriers are a significant cost to New Zealand. Tariffs alone are suppressing the value of our dairy products by around 1.3 billion dollars annually,” says DCANZ Chairman…

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Monday, 30 January 2017 11:51

White butter is taking off in the Middle East

Fonterra’s Research and Development Centre has developed a new white butter product to meet growing demand from manufacturers in the Middle East market. The New Zealand dairy co-op developed the product alongside its global ingredients business NZMP. Fonterra’s butter is renowned amongst Middle East consumers for its golden appearance thanks to milk from grass fed cows. However, a niche segment of manufacturers prefer white butter as a processing ingredient for their food products. These Middle Eastern food manufacturers have traditionally sourced butter from grain fed cows which produce dairy products with a pale colour, according to Fonterra. The co-op seized…

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Friday, 27 January 2017 06:30

A Growing Industry - The Farming Robots Market

The Farming Robots Market Projected to Reach $5.7 Billion by 2024 Brandon Marshall has a look at this market on machinery.com. He writes, Transparency Market Research (TMR), has released a report, “Agriculture Robots Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016 – 2024,” predicting a sizeable increase in demand for agriculture robots within the decade. The report estimates that the agricultural robotics industry has generated USD $1.01 billion in revenue globally as of 2016. Going forward, TMR suggest that revenue for this industry will rise to approximately $5.7 billion by the end of 2024. This estimate…

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Wednesday, 25 January 2017 06:37

Dairy manure converted to renewable diesel via gasification.

Waste-to-energy showcase for reluctant New Zealand dairy sector A 1,100-cow dairy in southern California became the first-ever operation in the world known to produce no-sulfur renewable diesel products from manure on a livestock facility in late April. The milestone is the culmination of three years of collaboration between Scott Brothers Dairy in San Jacinto, California, and Ag Waste Solutions (AWS), a privately held company that designed the farm’s manure processing system. “To make it to the top of the hill is a euphoric moment,” dairyman Bruce Scott says. Steve McCorkle, founder and CEO of AWS, announced the partnership’s achievement on…

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Wednesday, 18 January 2017 10:45

Fonterra poised for significant growth in the South Korean market

As New Zealand marks the one-year anniversary of its Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with South Korea, Fonterra Co-operative Group is gearing up to take advantage of huge potential for its dairy products there, particularly cheese. Since the FTA was signed in December 2015, New Zealand has experienced 16 per cent growth in exports of food and beverage products to Korea. The country is New Zealand’s fifth largest cheese market, worth US$50 million (NZ$70m) a year – comparable to New Zealand’s cheese trade to the United States. New Zealand’s new annual duty free quota of 7000 metric tonnes (MT) of cheese…

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Wednesday, 07 December 2016 09:45

Fonterra seeks ‘cow to cup’ traceability

Fonterra is on track to become the first global dairy processor to have farm-to-fork electronic traceability. By 2020 the co-op’s 11,000 supplier farms around the world would be part of the system; any product concerns will be traced anywhere on the supply chain within three hours. The world-class traceability standards will extend to Fonterra’s 140 plants at 50 sites in nine countries, in seven languages and involving 2000 unique food items. Already, all New Zealand and Australian-sourced products, representing 74% of total global production, can be electronically traced through the supply chain from manufacturing sites to customers. While the co-op…

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Friday, 18 November 2016 16:55

Is Mystery Saudi Agro Centre centrepiece of “imaginative” NZ Government Counter Trade?

Reader insists that the question must be asked Dear Sirs, In regard to the mysterious “agro Centre” which has appeared somewhere in the Arabian desert seemingly built and constructed by the New Zealand taxpayer you, the Taxpayers Union, and other questioners have all been asking the wrong question. The question that you should be asking is this: Is this agri hub the pivot of a counter trade deal between New Zealand and the Saudis?If it is the central component of a counter trade deal then the New Zealand government deserves credit for its imagination in implanting itself into a valuable…

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