Developments

The five ‘silver linings’ to Covid-19

-Dr Troy Coyle, HERA Director Our current state of play has created a massive disruption to business as usual – but are there any positives to come out from the Covid-19 pandemic? Covid-19 has dramatically impacted us all in many different ways. Of course, most discussions have been on the negatives of Covid-19, but here are five silver linings that we think may help build our resilience in the longer term. After all, it is those that take a negative and turn it into a positive that come out of situations for the better! So lets ensure that it is our NZ metals industry that is taking advantage! The significance of domestic manufacturing has come to the fore from Covid-19. We have had significant disruption to global supply chains. The expected market response is likely to be a shortening of supply chains and a strategy of securing supply chains. This undoubtedly favours local manufacturing. For a long time, manufacturing has not received the attention and support that it should have had – in terms of national security of supply chains and Government support. The PM’s specific mention of manufacturing in her announcement on 20 April indicates the sudden attention to manufacturing as a core requirement of Kiwi’s economic and human wellbeing. There is also likely to be a market change toward greater support for local manufacturing in consumer decision-making. Changes in consumer purchasing are also likely to support increased on-line purchasing. Both of these are, in turn, likely to lead to increased warehousing requirements and this will stimulate warehouse developments, with structural steel playing a role in via, for example, portal frame designs. There will necessarily be an increased focus on the upskilling of our workforce. Businesses were already struggling to attract and retain quality staff and many had gone offshore […]

Jobs aplenty, good pay on dairy farms for COVID unemployed

DairyNZ wants people who have lost jobs due to COVID-19 know there is plenty of work on dairy farms, especially in Waikato, Canterbury, Otago and Southland – and that they might well earn more than in their previous role. With the national unemployment rate forecast to rise sharply due to COVID-19, DairyNZ is encouraging people to consider work on dairy farms in a new Go Dairy campaign that also includes entry level training to help their transition to farming. Immediately, there are 1,000 jobs up for grabs on dairy farms, says DairyNZ’s chief executive Dr Tim Mackle. “As the new season gets under way on June 1, even more positions are likely to become available,” says Dr Mackle. “For people who’re looking for work and like the idea of caring for animals and the environment, there are lots of jobs – and career progression opportunities.” People interested in knowing more about working on dairy farms, where the jobs are and the introductory training can visit godairy.co.nz/career-changers where they can register their interest. While the Go Dairy career changers campaign, which is supported by Federated Farmers, aims to create awareness of the job opportunities, there is a big emphasis on ensuring new staff understand what is involved in farm life. “We want a win-win situation – for new dairy farming employees to be happy and fulfilled in their new lifestyle and jobs, and for farm employers to have great talent working for them,” Dr Mackle says. He adds that dairy also pays one of the highest average wages of all the primary sectors. “For the most part, we’re anticipating interested people will be from the regions where there are big job losses in tourism and hospitality – and where there is dairying close […]

Trade Me comes to Fieldays

New Zealand’s number one digital marketplace, Trade Me, has partnered with Fieldays to deliver their first ever online event. The online powerhouse is set to streamline Fieldays’ digital transactions and customer service experience. “It makes sense at a time of global uncertainty that two trustworthy brands come together. Trade Me, like Fieldays, is all about connecting people and businesses. It’s a winning combination, to have them on board ensures we have our digital platforms and transactions running perfectly,” says New Zealand National Fieldays Society CEO Peter Nation. Now a household name, over 1.5 million Kiwis visit Trade Me daily and the platform offers greater opportunities to reach a wider audience. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with the New Zealand National Fieldays Society to power online sales and help with marketing the 2020 Virtual Fieldays to Kiwis. The agricultural sector makes up a massive part of our Trade Me community and we’d like to help make this ‘first of its kind’ event a success,” says Ivan Fuyala, Head of Audience at Trade Me. For over 50 years Kiwis and those around the globe have trusted The New Zealand National Fieldays Society to deliver an iconic event that brings town and country together. “This is a first for Fieldays, we know the physical event and all it entails is incomparable, but we’re determined to deliver a world class event despite the current circumstances we face as a nation and globally,” says Nation. Fieldays is attended by approximately 130,000 people every year. From the beloved Tractor Pull competition to the Innovations Centre, Fieldays is a space for old friends to catch up, entrepreneurs to launch their innovations and businesses to connect and generate sales with their customers. The Southern Hemisphere’s largest agri-event generates approximately $180M for the local economy, while on a national level it provides […]

DairyNZ: Budget spending needs a long-term vision

The Budget’s focus on jobs, infrastructure and the environment has hit the spot, but the devil will be in the detail for the dairy sector, says DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle. “The budget includes some promising and practical initiatives to create jobs, while enhancing New Zealand’s environment,” said Dr Mackle. “Dairy farmers will be particularly pleased to see a $19.3 million investment to place 10,000 people into primary sector jobs. Our sector is already facing a 1000-person skill shortage that will be greatly exacerbated by COVID-19 and an inability to recruit migrant staff. “With unemployment forecast to hit 9.8 percent by September, we are hoping many kiwis will consider a career in our world-leading dairy sector. DairyNZ’s new career changers campaign, Go Dairy, will ensure new entrants to the sector will hit the ground running. “A $3 billion dollar investment in infrastructure is welcome news for rural New Zealand – but while the dollars are there, the detail isn’t. DairyNZ will be engaging with Government in coming weeks and months to ensure water storage, rural broadband and enhanced mobile coverage are priorities. “While a significant infrastructure spend is required, we are incredibly conscious these projects are funded by debt that will need to be repaid by future generations,” said Dr Mackle. “We need to ensure that any investment is strategic, has a long-term vision and will pay dividends for years to come. Investing in a coordinated national water storage strategy is an example of a project that ticks all these boxes. “A coordinated approach to water storage would help unlock economic potential, ensure land-use flexibility, and increase the resilience of our rural communities in the face of drought and a changing climate. “DairyNZ is also happy to see substantial […]

DairyNZ calls for ‘split gas’ Paris target

DairyNZ is urging the Government’s Independent Climate Change Commission to bring our international emissions reduction targets in line with our domestic targets legislated in the Zero Carbon Act by taking a ‘split gas’ approach, chief executive Dr Tim Mackle says. “Last year New Zealand took a world leading approach by legislating a split gas target in the Zero Carbon Act,” Dr Mackle says. “This recognised that methane is a short-lived gas and requires a different approach to the long-lived carbon dioxide. “While we need to take carbon to net zero, we can achieve a situation where we are no longer adding to global warming by reducing and stabilising our methane emissions.” New Zealand’s international target is currently expressed as a reduction of all greenhouse gases by 30 percent on 2005 levels. “This is a misalignment with our domestic policy and what the science has said on methane. Having an international target that splits the gases will send a much clearer signal to the international community on why New Zealand’s approach is in line with a 1.5 degrees target,” said Dr Mackle. “It will also allow us to put something on the table that is domestically achievable, and it will support policy alignment with what was legislated last year through the Zero Carbon Bill. “We are urging the Climate Change Commission to consider if New Zealand’s international target should be recommunicated as a split gas target, the same as how we are approaching this issue domestically. “While the Commission is reviewing our Paris Commitments, they should also be reviewing our domestic targets – particularly the methane reduction target which is set as a broad range – to ensure they are fair and appropriate in a New Zealand context,” Dr Mackle concluded.

Fieldays 2020 pioneering a digital future

The future of Fieldays is secure despite the ongoing developments of the COVID-19 virus. Event organisers, the New Zealand National Fieldays Society, are pioneering an entirely new experience of Fieldays that will ensure its longevity in an age of social isolation and measures to reduce the spread of coronavirus. Visitors will get a taste of the event via a virtual experience on digital platforms until the physical event is able to take place. Following the governmental announcement on Monday 16th of March, to cancel all large gatherings of over 500 people, the Society knew this was an opportunity to adapt the Fieldays event in an innovative way. The virtual experience promises to offer an entirely new spin on the event whilst retaining all it’s treasured parts. From Fieldays Future Focus talks to the beloved Fieldays Innovation programme, the technology will allow for an immersive experience from the comfort of one’s own home. “We understand the economic ramifications would be extensive if Fieldays was cancelled entirely hence why we’ve decided it’s a chance to be innovative in this time of global uncertainty. We’ll still be delivering a world class event on the world stage – albeit a digital version,” Society CEO Peter Nation says. “The event is treasured, not just to the agricultural industry but as Kiwis altogether. Many people save the date a year in advance. We know of people that have never missed a Fieldays! “The NZ agricultural industry is one of the most innovative and dynamic of its kind in the world. Crises are not new to the primary sector. We had M.Bovis a few years back, droughts, the GFC. These are all things farmers and communities have had to endure and ride through. Uncertainty has paved the way for innovation in times where there was no other […]

Pleasing that Moving Day can hit the road

DairyNZ and Federated Farmers are pleased to see certainty provided by the Government today, that Moving Day – or Moving Week as it will likely be – can proceed from June 1 for thousands of dairy farmers nationwide. Following the national COVID-19 lockdown, a Moving Day Working Group including DairyNZ, Federated Farmers, Fonterra and FMG formed to identify solutions for the safe movement of people, livestock, machinery and goods when the new dairy season begins (June 1), while dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. The groups urgently advocated to Government to provide guidance for dairy farmers nationwide. “We are pleased the certainty we sought has been provided and dairy farmers now have reassurance they can move to new farms for the new dairy season in a way that also keeps them and the public as safe as possible,” said DairyNZ chief executive, Dr Tim Mackle. “Now we have clarity, we will be supporting dairy farmers with the detail to ensure their moves are safe and undertaken within the guidelines, particularly staying within their ‘bubbles’. “Being able to move will reduce concerns around animal welfare, farmer wellbeing and economic impacts which had potential to arise from any delay to Moving Day.” Each year thousandsof dairy farmers, sharemilkers, contract milkers and employees move to new farms to commence new employment, and contract milking or sharemilking contracts. Even without COVID-19 restrictions this is a huge logistical exercise, often spanning many days to get animals, gear and people relocated in a safe and secure manner. “Moving Week is a key part of the life of the dairy sector. This is how we enable people to progress their careers and their businesses,” said Federated Farmers national dairy chair, Chris Lewis. “It might sound strange to our friends living in the city, that we all move our […]

Dairy farmers to cast milksolids levy vote

Dairy farmers are encouraged to have their say in the milksolids levy vote 2020, which is now open for voting. It is a one-in-six year vote for industry good organisation, DairyNZ. DairyNZ chair Jim van der Poel said the milksolids levy funds industry good activities through DairyNZ which delivers dairy sector research, development, advocacy and expertise. “The milksolids levy has been part of New Zealand dairy farming for 17 years. Its roots are in funding work that enables farmers to continue thriving in an ever-changing world. With the challenges of COVID-19, the changing nature of farming has never been more real,” said Mr van der Poel. “I encourage farmers to vote and ensure their dairy farm neighbours and friends have their say too. DairyNZ is a farmer-owned organisation – it’s important we receive their vote to continue supporting our farmers through science, research and advocacy.” All levy payers – farm owners, sharemilkers and leaseholders – can place a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ vote until 5pm, May 30. The current levy order expires in November and is required by Government legislation, through the Commodity Levies Act 1990. Levy paying farmers contribute 3.6c per kilogram of milksolids (kgMS) produced. “DairyNZ represents dairy farmers and helps deliver a better future for them and all New Zealanders, through a thriving dairy sector. If there is a yes vote, farmers will continue to receive all the benefits of DairyNZ and we will continue to support the delivery of the Dairy Tomorrow strategy, which is the sector’s blueprint for the future.” “I believe in an organisation that exists to work exclusively for dairy farmers. Not many sectors have an industry-good organisation like ours. DairyNZ has helped us achieve real success as a sector and it’s a real strength for our future,” said Mr van der Poel. […]

SweeGen accelerates global expansion with new food and beverage application centres

New centres enable deep collaboration with global and regional customers on sugar reduction and taste innovations Global food and beverage manufacturers can now easily create and collaborate on exploring sugar reduction solutions with SweeGen in its newly launched Food and Beverage Application Centres located in four global regions — North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Latin America. The centres will create synergy and local interaction with new and existing customers thereby accelerating new product development reflecting local consumer preferences in taste, flavors and ingredients. “This expansion on application and technical support into local markets is our continuing commitment to provide a unique sugar reduced solution that rapidly reduces product development time for our customers, and delivers a winning product for the region, said Shari Mahon, S.V.P., application technology. “Each facility will feature a full spectrum of development capabilities supporting beverage, dairy, confectionery, snack and bakery foods.” The flagship California centre opened first this year. Mexico and Europe to follow, and Asia-Pacific slated to open by the end of 2020. The opening of the European centre will coincide with an anticipated EFSA approval of the company’s Rebaudioside M stevia sweetener in Europe. Additionally, and planned to open later this year in Europe, the company will produce more than 3,000 metric tons of stevia sweeteners per year at its new manufacturing site. The personalised customer service at the centres is just one of SweeGen’s competitive advantages. SweeGen also provides manufacturers access to reliable high purity world-scale supply of best tasting zero-calorie stevia sweeteners. “The investment we’ve made in our new application centres is an investment we’ve made in our customer relationships and their businesses,” said Luca Giannone, vice president of sales and marketing. “We see stevia as the preferred global ingredient for sugar reduction and that’s possible because SweeGen scales the production of Reb […]

Global food industry M&A deals total $2.72bn in February 2020

Total food industry M&A deals in February 2020 worth $2.72bn were announced globally, according to GlobalData’s deals database. The value marked an increase of 522.2% over the previous month and a rise of 41.1% when compared with the last 12-month average, which stood at $1.93bn. Comparing deals value in different regions of the globe, North America held the top position, with total announced deals in the period worth $1.63bn. At the country level, Canada topped the list in terms of deal value at $1.2bn. In terms of volumes, North America emerged as the top region for food industry M&A deals globally, followed by Europe and then Asia-Pacific. The top country in terms of M&A deals activity in February 2020 was the US with 13 deals, followed by the UK with four and Canada with four. In 2020, as of the end of February 2020, food M&A deals worth $3.16bn were announced globally, marking a decrease of 24.03% year on year. Food industry M&A deals in February 2020: Top deals The top five food industry M&A deals accounted for 99.6% of the overall value during February 2020. The combined value of the top five food M&A deals stood at $2.71bn, against the overall value of $2.72bn recorded for the month. The top five food industry deals of February 2020 tracked by GlobalData were: Mondelez International’s $1.2bn acquisition of Give And Go Prepared Foods The $825.86m acquisition of Glycom by Royal DSM Dairy Farmers of America’s $425m asset transaction with Dean Foods The $227.25m acquisition of Ajinomoto(Thailand) Ltd by AjinomotoInc SATS’s acquisition of Monty’s Bakehouse UK for $34.72m.

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