www.foodtechnology.co.nz 7 NEWS IN BRIEF DAIRY: A former Far North mayor says his future dairy factory in Kerikeri could start exporting to China late next year and provide a steady income for farmers in the region. Engineer Wayne Brown, who is backing the $40m plant between the Top Energy substation and a dam on Wiroa Rd, says the project will create 40 jobs – half for the factory and half working in related roles – and process up to 300,000 litres a day. Planned for 18 months, the Northland Milk NZ plant will process the region’s natural resources, Brown says. “It will just bring money going out of the district back into the district.” Whilst Fonterra sells its milk at auction and pays farmers according to the seesawing global milk powder price, Northland will pay farmers a set price which will protect them during down times, although Brown won’t reveal how much farmers will be paid. The fi nished milk products will be exported to two companies which each have 3000 retail outlets in China. FRUIT AND VEGE: New Zealand’s largest apple exporter Scales Corp has more than doubled annual profi t as it reaps the benefi ts from selling higher value apples. The Christchurch-based company made nearly $39 million in profi t last year, up from $18.4m in 2014. Revenue increased 14% to $301.4m, as a result of the company investing in apple crops desired by customers in Asia and the Middle East where sweeter, redder varieties fetch a premium price, on average 55 per cent higher. The company exported 40 per cent more premium trays to the Middle East and Asia, and managing director Andy Borland says it is pleasing to see that investment has delivered both a material increase in volume and price. SEAFOOD: New Zealand’s seafood industry has welcomed the Environmental Protection Authority’s decision to turn down Chatham Rock Phosphate’s application to mine the Chatham Rise area, which is a key fi shing ground for New Zealand. The area is home to New Zealand’s most productive marine ecosystem and is recognised as a ‘hotspot’ habitat for juvenile fi sh including hoki, ling, silver warehou and white warehou. “The EPA’s decision recognises that seabed mining is a relatively new industry which has many uncertainties, and that this was a risk not worth taking when it came to New Zealand’s marine environment,” says Deepwater Group and Executive Chair of Seafood New Zealand chief executive George Clement. “Had this venture on the Chatham Rise gone ahead it would have resulted in widespread habitat destruction, affecting water quality, the marine food web, benthic fauna, fi sh spawning and our conservation estate. BEEF AND LAMB: The average farm profi t before tax has been adjusted downwards by nearly 25 per cent by Beef + Lamb New Zealand in its mid-season update. Six months ago, the organisation’s new season outlook predicted profi t before tax would be around $109,000 for 2015/16, but has revised that down to $82,400 because of weaker lamb pricing conditions. B+LNZ economic service chief economist Andrew Burtt says the average farm profi t before tax is 21 per cent less than the 2014-15 season. “It will impact South Island farmers more severely, due to the higher ratio of sheep to cattle farmed in the south and a second year of drought conditions in Marlborough and North Canterbury.” We are now on facebook Go to: www.facebook.com/NZFOODtechnology/ And like us and we will keep you informed International, national & local news Subscribe on line: www.foodtechnology.co.nz/subs
FT-mar16-Vol51-2
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