Synlait Milk, the South Island-based milk processor, will establish a research and development centre in Palmerston North to drive new product development, process technology and packaging.
Rakaia-based Synlait is partnering with Massey University and FoodPilot, which is located at the university's Palmerston North campus and houses the largest collection of pilot-scale food processing equipment in the southern hemisphere. The business-to-business dairy products manufacturer, which counts milk marketer A2 Milk as a key customer, announced last week that it's looking to enter the market for branded consumer products for the first time.
"Our goal is to become more profitable and diversified. Investing in our own research and development centre is an opportunity to explore new and unique ways to make the most from milk,” said Synlait managing director John Penno. "We will be developing intellectual property across our value chain, which aims to maximize value at every step, beginning behind the farm gate all the way through to providing market access for our customers."
Synalit will invest an initial $7 million this financial year to grow its research and category development capability and plans to double its investment over the next two years, he said.
"This is the first step for us as we progress towards new products, categories and markets in the future," Penno said. "We will need our capability in this area to continue evolving so we stay ahead of the game."
The shares last traded at $5.45, and have gained 75 percent this year.
| A Synlait release || September 25, 2017 |||
Air New Zealand has announced it will continue to operate its seasonal non-stop service to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, following strong customer demand. For its 2018 season, the airline will operate two direct services a week between Auckland and Ho Chi Minh City on Tuesdays and Saturdays, using its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. This will be the third consecutive year of Vietnam operations. Air New Zealand Chief Revenue Officer Cam Wallace says there has been a huge appetite for travel to Vietnam by Kiwis since the airline introduced a direct seasonal service to Ho Chi Minh City from Auckland in 2016. “It’s been fantastic to see so many travellers enthusiastic about Ho Chi Minh as a destination as it’s a great gateway to Vietnam’s tourism experience. Demand for travel to Vietnam has been particularly strong in the July school holidays,” Mr Wallace says. “Vietnam is one of the most affordable destinations for Kiwis and offers a memorable experience whether you are flying solo, as a couple, a family or a group of friends. It’s not surprising to us that it is starting to become a popular hot spot on the holiday calendar.” Air New Zealand’s 2018 Vietnam season will operate between 23 June and 23 October.
| An Air New Zealand release || September 25, 2017 |||
Massey University has lodged building consent applications for two major construction projects as part of a $120 million development of its Auckland campus.
The University will construct a 9800 square metre “innovation hub” including research laboratories, clinics, teaching spaces, and staff and postgraduate student workspace on the main part of the campus, the East Precint off the Albany Expressway.
The second consent application is to extend the Sir Neil Waters building, named after the former Vice-Chancellor who established the campus in 1993, to provide additional space.
The sale of the campus’ Ōtehā Rohe site, located on Albany Highway, became final last week and will help fund the planned developments.
University Vice-Chancellor Professor Jan Thomas says the development is designed to ensure the campus serves the needs of the predicted growth in student numbers.
“Massey has bold plans for its Auckland campus and sees the campus as the heart of a smart innovation district in Auckland North, which is an extremely fast-growing region with huge potential,” Professor Thomas says.
“Our aim is to create a world-leading hub for 21st century education and, to achieve this, we have a structured development plan, with the construction of the innovation complex and Sir Neil Waters building extension representing the next stage of development.
“These construction projects represent the biggest development since the campus was established.”
Work on the Sir Neil Waters extension is scheduled to begin late next year and be complted at the end of 2019; the innovation hub will commence in 2019 and take about three years.
Professor Thomas says the innovation hub will offer flexible lab space, accommodating the variety of health and sciences disciplines taught on the campus. With around one-third of the campus’ students studying at a postgraduate level, the building also features a space dedicated to their learning needs.
She says the University is working to ensure enviromentally sustainable practices are incorporated into the buildings’ design.
The 175 staff members currently located at Ōtehā Rohe will gradually relocate to the campus’ East Precinct from late 2019.
| A Massey University release || September 19, 2017 |||
Here is the introduction to the TheGuardians summary of the election:
Changi Airport’s new Terminal 4 is scheduled to commence operations on 31 October. With the final set of checks and reviews now being undertaken, FTE explores how self-service and biometric technology is being used to create a seamless passenger experience.
Fast and Seamless Travel (FAST)Technology is at the heart of the new Terminal 4, which will be the first terminal at Changi Airport to offer end-to-end Fast and Seamless Travel (FAST) for departing passengers.
The implementation of FAST across the terminal means that at all passenger touch-points – from check-in and bag drop to immigration and boarding – self-service and biometric technology will help to provide passengers with a seamless and intuitive experience.
At the point of check-in passengers will be able to use self-service kiosks to print their own boarding passes and bag tags. They can then drop their bags at an automated bag drop machine after their identity has been verified. At immigration, passengers will be able to scan their own passport, boarding pass and fingerprint to facilitate the necessary identity checks. The automated immigration gates also use facial recognition technology to authenticate the passengers’ identity.
This self-service immigration function is available to passengers who are at least six years old and who are Singaporeans, Permanent Residents, Long Term Pass holders or visitors whose fingerprints are registered with the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority.eMeanwhile, at the boarding gate, technology has also been implemented. Passengers who have used the automated immigration gate can simply scan their boarding pass at the boarding gate and authenticate their identity with the facial recognition system.
Centralised security screening, featuring CT technologyPassengers will be able to keep their laptops and tablets in their bags thanks to the use of computed tomography technology at the Terminal 4 centralised security screening checkpoint.
New technology is also being used at the security checkpoint. The centralised security screening in T4 uses computed tomography (CT) technology so passengers can keep their laptops and tablets in their bags. An automated tray return system and multiple divestment points will also help to optimise efficiency and keep waiting times down.
Although Terminal 4 is just half the size of Terminal 3, thanks in a large part to the effective use of technology the new facility will have a capacity of 16 million passengers a year, which is two-thirds that of T3.
Rudolf Mulderij writes in FRESH PlAZA that demand for Kiwifruit is on the rise worldwide, but the supply has been affected by the weather. "New Zealand harvested less this campaign after a difficult growing season, with a hot winter and a lot of rain," explained a trader. Moreover, the Chilean production is also reported to have dropped, and now Italian kiwis are hitting the market and they also expect a smaller volume due to the impact of frost in certain regions and the dry summer. "As a result, the supply will be much scarcer, while the demand continues to rise," assures a trader.
New Zealand: Zespri is looking for new marketsZespri, the export organization of New Zealand kiwis, is seeing strong growth this season. The SunGold continues to grow in markets like Japan and China. Moreover, their sights are set on other markets in South East Asia, India and North America. The European market is also developing well, with strong demand all year round. Japan is the biggest market this season, accounting for the export of 23 million trays. The second most important market is China, accounting for 22 million trays.
The start of the season in the northern hemisphere is around the corner. The Italian volume is expected to amount to around 5 million trays, which is a notable growth. The company aims for the demand to grow faster than the supply, and that seems to be successful. As a result, priorities have to be set as far as the markets are concerned. For the coming years, significant expansions are expected in the acreage, with another 1,800 hectares in Europe and 400 hectares in New Zealand. The company is working on growth for the SunGold. Eventually, the share of green and yellow kiwis must be split 50/50.
Continue here to read the full article published on FRESHPLAZA Friday 22 September 2017 |||
The Spectrim platform, a state-of-the-art technology developed by Compac sorts and grades fresh produce by analysing up to 500 images of each individual fruit. This reduces fruit contamination and ensures that the very best produce reaches consumers. Compac and Spectrim make up 90 percent of New Zealand’s fruit grading technology, over 60 percent of North America’s and it’s continuing to expand in other areas including Europe and China.
Palace of the Alhambra, Spain
By: Charles Nathaniel Worsley (1862-1923)
From the collection of Sir Heaton Rhodes
Oil on canvas - 118cm x 162cm
Valued $12,000 - $18,000
Offers invited over $9,000
Contact: Henry Newrick – (+64 ) 27 471 2242
Mount Egmont with Lake
By: John Philemon Backhouse (1845-1908)
Oil on Sea Shell - 13cm x 14cm
Valued $2,000-$3,000
Offers invited over $1,500
Contact: Henry Newrick – (+64 ) 27 471 2242