Latest Fonterra Stories

By GRAHAM, Kathy A Waikato shareholder in Open Country Cheese (OCC) has said the price offered by dairy processor Dairy Trust for shares in the takeover bid for OCC would have to be considerably higher for him to sell. Colin Young from Matamata said the takeover bid came as no surprise. Earlier this week Dairy Trust announced its intention to make an offer to buy the 47.6 per cent stake in OCC that it did not already own. "I have been expecting a full takeover from Dairy Trust since...

By MCENTEE, Claire THE New Zealand IT services market will remain competitive despite Hewlett-Packard buying IT services giant EDS, most Government technology buyers say. The acquisition will create a combined New Zealand company with about 3000 staff and revenues of $1 billion. State Services Commission deputy commissioner and government chief information officer Laurence Millar says industry consolidation is part of the market cycle. He believes all-encompassing IT outsourcing...

By RILKOFF, Matt A Massey study finds cash incentive will drive decisions to shift from conventional systems, MATT RILKOFF sees how it works -------------------- ECONOMICS will usher in the widespread uptake of organic farming methods, a soil scientist for Massey University's organic/ conventional dairy systems trial in Palmerston North, Dave Horne, says. Dr Horne addressed a small group of about 20 farmers at Terence and Jill Whelan's farm in Patea last week to present an assortment...

By ST GEORGE, Liz IT'S been quite a month for Neil Walker. The Hawera man has just been elected president of both the Dairy Industry Association of New Zealand (Dianz) and the dairy division of the NZ Institute of Food Science and Technology. At the organisation's conference in Rotorua a fortnight ago, Mr Walker was also made a fellow of the institute. He was presented with a certificate to note his 35 years of service with Fonterra and its predecessor, 800 Government grants, 13 years on...

By GALLOWAY, Jill Dairy giant Fonterra says industry inducement, rather than regulation will get farmers to be more environmentally sustainable. It talked to the hearing panel on the Horizons proposed One Plan. The panel is made up of independent commissioners and regional councillors. Submissions began last week and are expected to continue until March next year. It has started with an overview of the One Plan. Later hearings will cover land, water, air and biodiversity in the Manawatu-...

By HUNTER, Tim IN SEPTEMBER, when shareholders in Silver Fern Farms vote on whether to sell half their company for $220 million, the money may not be the deciding factor. Equally important, or perhaps more so, will be the character of the people they are being asked to do business with. "Farmers are a funny lot," one shareholder told the Star-Times. "If they think a person's being a bit smart, s---, they'll cut them off at the knees." Just as well, then, that the deal is being put forward...

NEW ZEALAND dairy co-operative Fonterra and National Foods are working together on a possible joint bid for Australia's Dairy Farmers, the dairy producer said. Dairy Farmers said it had waived confidentiality agreements to allow Fonterra and dairy and juice producer National Foods, which is owned by Japan's Kirin Holdings, to work together on a National Foods-led bid. Dairy Farmers, which is owned by some 2000 Australian farmers and makes Dairy Farmers brand milk, Coon cheese and Ski...

Fonterra has abandoned its own bid for Australian co-op Dairy Farmers to play second fiddle to National Foods. Dairy Farmers said yesterday that it had granted National Foods and Fonterra permission to work together to decide terms to enhance the National Foods-led bid. Victoria's Warrnambool Cheese and Butter is also part of the bid. Dairy Farmers is expected to fetch about $1 billion. Australian sources said Fonterra had probably realised it would be outbid by National Foods and the...

By JANES, Andrew FONTERRA has abandoned its own bid for Australian co-op Dairy Farmers to play second fiddle to National Foods. Dairy Farmers said yesterday that it had granted National Foods and Fonterra permission to work together to decide terms to enhance the National Foods-led bid. Victoria's Warrnambool Cheese and Butter is also part of the bid. Dairy Farmers is expected to fetch about $1 billion. Australian sources said Fonterra had probably realised it would be outbid by...

By BASHAM, Laura Matthew Oldham used to manage a dairy company employing 2500 staff. He has now runs one with 2.5 staff, including himself. This former Fonterra man, who has worked in five countries, made a lifestyle change two years ago, moving his family to Brightwater. From this month, he has taken ownership of the Neudorf Dairy business, with plans to expand and make it the top of the south local cheese. The move means Brian and Sharon Beuke, who started Neudorf Dairy three years...