Synlait eyes troubled Waimate plant
Date: 19 May 2012Potential buyers have emerged for the failed Russian-owned Waimate dairy processor in receivership, with Chinese majority-owned Synlait the frontrunner. Christchurch merchant bank Ocean Partners has also indicated an interest. The receivers say they are already in "advanced discussions" with interested parties. Farmer suppliers to NZ Dairies, placed in receivership on Thursday, say they are owed up to $30 million in deferred payments for their milk. Plans to ... more
Eagle designed for a clean sweep with new Pack 400 HC
Date: 19 May 2012New x-ray system designed for harsher packaged food manufacturing environments to increase uptime and hygiene Eagle Product Inspection has launched the Eagle Pack 400 HC, an energy-efficient x-ray inspection system designed for easy and efficient cleaning in the harsh wash-down environments of the packaged meat, poultry and dairy industries, where daily sanitization of equipment is mandatory. The new system facilitates compliance with food safety standards regarding plant hygiene, ... more
Partnership program between METTLER TOLEDO and Konica Minolta
Date: 18 May 2012Two world-wide renowned specialists in their field join forces: METTLER TOLEDO and Konica Minolta Sensing announce a strategic partnership in the field of Multi-parameter Analysis for the Flavours & Fragrances industry. The partnership will bundle the CM-5 or CR-5 Spectrophotometer from Konica Minolta with the Density, Refractive index and pH instruments from METTLER TOLEDO to provide a complete system for automatic quality monitoring of raw materials and finished goods. Trend ... more
Villa Maria Estate celebrates 50 years
Date: 16 May 2012As New Zealand's most awarded winery bottles its 50th harvest wine, owner and founder Sir George Fistonich knows the value of a good vintage. Villa Maria cemented its status as New Zealand's leading wine brand after it was recently named among the world's 50 great wine producers in American magazine 'Wine Spectator'. The company has won the New Zealand Wine Company of the Year at Australia's Winestate Wine Awards ten out of eleven years and in 2009, Fistonich received the country's ... more
Dairy prices drop to new 3-year low in overnight auction
Date: 16 May 2012Prices of dairy products fell for the third straight sale in Fonterra's overnight auction, reaching a new three-year low as China's slowdown and euro-zone uncertainty weighed on commodities. The GDT-TWI Price Index fell 6.4 per cent compared to the last sale two weeks ago. The average winning price dropped to US$2,618 a metric tonne, the lowest since August 2009. The price of whole milk powder fell 8.9 per cent to US$2,546 a tonne and skim milk powder fell 5.4 per cent to US$2,573 a tonne. ... more
Fonterra teams up with Richie McCaw
Date: 10 May 2012Fonterra is teaming up with New Zealand rugby team captain Richie McCaw as an ambassador to help build pride among New Zealanders for the dairy co-operative. As part of a partnership agreement through to the end of 2015, Richie McCaw will support Fonterra’s community programmes and work with its staff and shareholders. Announcing the partnership today, Fonterra CEO Theo Spierings said the rugby legend’s shared values and ambitions for New Zealand made him a ... more
Kiwifruit disease came from China - study
Date: 10 May 2012The bacterial disease expected to cost the New Zealand kiwifruit industry 470 jobs and up to NZ$885 million originated in China, a new study has shown. Kiwifruit canker, or Psa, has spread to 1184 New Zealand orchards since it was discovered in the Bay of Plenty region in November 2010. Combating the disease is expected to cost between $310 million and $410 million over the next five years - with the long term bill rising to between $740 million and $885 million. US and Italian ... more
NZ blueberries, ice cream an Australian hit
Date: 10 May 2012Organic blueberry grower OOB could claim it is the flavour of the month with its new deal to sell its fruit and ice cream in more than 800 Australian stores. Based an hour north of Auckland, Omaha Organic Blueberries has signed a deal with the Australian Woolworths chain which will see its products stocked in 856 stores across the Tasman. The berries and ice cream are currently stocked by around 350 New Zealand retailers including the New World and Pak'n Save supermarkets. OOB ... more
New Fonterra management team to deliver refreshed Group Strategy
Date: 8 May 2012Fonterra Chief Executive Officer Theo Spierings today announced members of his senior management team as part of a reshaping of the organisation to deliver on its Group Strategy Refresh announced in late March. Eleven of the 12 new Fonterra Management Team roles have been filled, all by internal appointments: “From day one I have been impressed by the quality of people at Fonterra and it is great to be able to draw on this strong bench strength when assembling our ... more
Fruit and vegetable exports to Asia and Australia fuel growth
Date: 8 May 2012The 3.1% increase in fruit and vegetable exports in 2011 is a great result given the negative impacts of a 6.5% rise in the value of the New Zealand dollar and difficult market conditions in the same period. Horticulture New Zealand says the increase is worth $100 million to this country. The just released edition of the horticulture industry handbook, Fresh Facts, shows fruit and vegetable exports have increased to NZD$3.3 billion in 2011. One of the key factors which ... more
