Rural round-up

Bright Foods tipped as Silver Fern bidder – Fran O’Sullivan:

Chinese Government backed Bright Food is understood to be the party which has been in negotiations with Silver Fern to take a stake in the NZ meat company.

Bright is a wholly Government-owned State Owned Enterprise.

But the negotiating vehicle is understood to one of Bright’s four listed subsidiaries. One of those subsidiaries – Bright Dairy & Food – took a majority stake in Canterbury milk processor Synlait Milk for $82 million in 2010.

Late last week speculation suggested the proposed deal would be announced today by Silver Fern Farms. . .

Waikato farmer wearing undies and gumboots chases burgler – Florence Kerr:

An attempted robbery was thwarted by an angry Waikato farmer who chased down the not-so-clever burglars wearing his undies and his gumboots.

Fed-up with continued thefts from his and neighbouring farms, Ohaupo farmer Arnold Reekers was forced into action in the early hours of Sunday morning when he heard his quad bike beeping as the thieves attempted to hot-wire the vehicle.

And despite having a knife pulled on him by the would-be thieves, Reekers wouldn’t hesitate to do it again saying continued thefts would drive farmers to take up arms despite pleas from the police for people not to take matters into their own hands.  . . 

Agility to drive value – Hugh Stringleman:

Fonterra chairman John Wilson has hit back at repeated criticism the huge co-operative has lost its way or not delivered on the promise it once held.

“I do sense the frustration of farmers with critics who come out of their holes when global milk prices are low,” he said ahead of the annual results release on September 24.

Wilson is one of three farmer-directors who retire by rotation this year to face the farmers’ vote in October. . .

New Zealand sheepmeat – maximising the cut:

Softer overseas demand for New Zealand sheepmeat – particularly out of China – which has curtailed New Zealand sheepmeat producers’ returns in recent months, has largely been driven by decline in demand for the forequarter portion of the carcase, says agribusiness specialist Rabobank in a recently-released report.

The report, New Zealand Sheepmeat: Maximising the Cut – Breaking It All Down, says it is important for producers to understand the breakdown of the animal and market demand for specific products as it ultimately determines the farmgate price. 

“While farmers are paid on a per head or per kilogramme basis, the price they receive is calculated from the summation of all the products derived from the animal – from the extensive array of cuts, to the offal, co-products, skin and wool,” says report author and animal protein analyst, Matthew Costello. . .

 

Foreign investment decisions could be fast-tracked – Brook Sabin:

The Government is considering speeding up foreign investment decisions, but Finance Minister Bill English is giving a cast-iron guarantee the rules won’t be watered down.

The Overseas Investment Office (OIO) considers whether to approve high-value and sensitive land investments from overseas buyers. It then makes a recommendation to the Government, which ultimately decides whether the sale can proceed.

The most high-profile sale currently before the OIO is the 14,000ha Lochinver Station, which China’s Shanghai Pengxin wants to buy. The application has been held up for more than a year, but the Government is finally close to deciding whether it will go ahead. . .

Investment reduces AsureQuality profit:

AsureQuality posted a 9% drop in 2015 annual profit and expects a further decline in 2016 as the state-owned food safety company steps up investment for future growth.

Profit fell to $11.4 million in the 12 months ended June 30, from $12.5m a year earlier, the Auckland-based state-owned enterprise said in a statement posted on the Treasury website. It expects profit to decline further to $10.6m in 2016 before increasing to $12m in 2017, according to its 2015-2018 statement of corporate intent. . .

Organic farming is actually worse for climate change than conventional farming –  Deena Shanker:

Organic food is booming right now, as more and more people choose what they perceive to be healthier, more environmentally friendly food.

But a new study published in the June issue of Agriculture and Human Values suggests that organic farming, as it currently stands, is not as sustainable as it could be, and when done on a large scale, even produces more greenhouse gases (“GHGs” are heat-trapping compounds that contribute to climate change) than its conventional counterpart.

To determine the difference in emissions of organic agriculture versus conventional, University of Oregon researcher Julius McGee used state-level data, available through the United States Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency, that showed agricultural GHG emissions from 49 states from 2000 to 2008. . .  Hat tip: Utopia

Biofilms in the Dairy Industry:

Recent high-profile contamination scares within the international food industry have highlighted the need for best practice when it comes to dairy manufacturing. After 15 years of research into dairy biofilms, there is now a cornerstone publication for a better understanding of the current science, and ways to reduce the occurrence of biofilms associated with dairy manufacturing.

Biofilms in the Dairy Industry provides a comprehensive overview of biofilm-related issues currently facing the New Zealand and international dairy sector. . .