Developments

Massey University announced as partner of the New Zealand National Fieldays Society

In the picture:Massey University’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Jane Thomas, signing an agreement with New Zealand National Fieldays Society CEO Peter Nation. New Zealand National Fieldays Society, owner of the iconic Fieldays event in June, has a new partner in the form of Massey University. The university and Society signed the three-year initial term agreement earlier this month, ahead of the first Society board meeting to be held offsite since incorporation. Fieldays celebrates its 50th anniversary this year during the 13-16 June event at Mystery Creek near Hamilton. Nick Dromgool, GM Commercial for the Society, believes Massey University’s strong focus on the agricultural and health sectors makes it a strong partner for the Society and the Fieldays event. “Fieldays has been bringing rural and urban audiences together for 50 years, and we are very pleased about this connection with Massey University. Fieldays is a truly New Zealand event and we feel Massey’s ethos of being an accessible university through its many campuses and its distance learning is an excellent fit.” Massey University is well-known for agri-related study and research, and also has top equine, vet and food programmes. It has a strong focus on health and has many other unique schools within its campuses. The university was recently recognised in the 2018 QS World University Rankings, placing 22nd in the world’s universities for agriculture and forestry, and 23rd for veterinary science. College of Sciences Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Ray Geor says Massey is excited about connecting with the Society at a partnership level. “We are a strong supporter of Fieldays and have always had a large presence at the event. This year we are very pleased to be able to really cement that relationship,” he says. “Fieldays is a premier event, recognised in world agribusiness,” adds Professor Geor. “It’s an excellent fit […]

Boost for New Zealand beverage market

In the picture:Fonterra Farmers see first-hand the operations at the new plant. Two New Zealand companies have teamed up to install a state of the art technology at the Apollo plant in Whakatu, Hawke’s Bay, that will bring some of the best in fruit and dairy beverages to Kiwis’ across the country. The agreement between Fonterra Brands New Zealand and Apollo Foods, an innovative start-up company, will help both companies capitalise on the increasing global popularity for lifestyle beverages. Apollo’s new operation includes innovative beverage filling technology which allows a range of different containers to be produced on site and filled with a range of different products on the one production line. The technology at the plant provides market leading quality control and allows for a superior fresh taste experience over an extended shelf life. This provides opportunities for outlets to stock a greater range of products and in turn gives consumers more choice. Managing Director of Fonterra Brands New Zealand Leon Clement, said a global surge in demand for dairy and fruit beverages presents a fantastic opportunity for both companies. “As high-quality drinks play an increasingly large role in consumers’ diets around the world, New Zealand companies have a real opportunity to create value-adding initiatives across our primary industry sectors,” said Mr Clement. “By taking an innovative partnership approach to production with Apollo Foods, we have been able to open up new opportunities for future brands – and create even more value for our farmers.” The Apollo Foods state of the art facility will have the capacity to produce millions of litres of beverages each year. It will allow Fonterra Brands New Zealand and Apollo Foods to take the lead in their respective categories and benefit from new technology to supply consumer drinks to the growing market. Ross Beaton, […]

Commercial Mycoplasma bovis test being developed

A commercial diagnostic tool which will allow farmers to test for cattle disease Mycoplasma bovis themselves is being developed by a partnership comprising commercial laboratories, industry representatives and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI). The tool will be released once sampling guidelines, a testing strategy and possibly an accreditation programme have been developed – to ensure the test can be accurately applied and interpreted. MPI Response Director Geoff Gwyn said since the discovery of Mycoplasma bovis in New Zealand last year the partnership had been working hard to provide practitioners and farmers with better diagnostic tests to assist in detecting the cattle disease on their farms. “However, while testing options and solutions are becoming available, we have identified that interpreting a one-off test result, even at the herd level, in isolation to other factors, is challenging and carries inherent risk for farmers. The tests currently available will lead to a significant number of farms being falsely identified as positive and farms that may be real positives being missed. “That’s why we are developing robust processes, including a testing strategy and sampling guidelines which may form part of an accreditation programme.” The partnership behind the test programme includes representatives from NZ Veterinary Association, Beef & Lamb NZ, DairyNZ, Dairy Companies Association of NZ, Federated Farmers, AsureQuality, MilkTest NZ, Livestock Improvement Corporation, New Zealand Veterinary Pathology, SVS Laboratories and Gribbles Veterinary Pathology. The NZVA Chief Veterinary Officer, Helen Beattie said the partnership was focused on helping farmers who were dealing with the many uncertainties around the disease. “All parties in this partnership are acutely aware of the need for a robust on-farm solution for farmers who are concerned about Mycoplasma bovis. All parties are working urgently on developing this tool, and all the elements needed to support it.” Any accreditation programme will likely […]

Kiwi academics develop new food design technique

Two leading academics have developed a new food design technique to help inspire the next generation of culinary designers and make artistic food presentation more accessible to New Zealand restaurants. The new technique developed in consultation with EPIC Otago Polytechnic R & D centre and The Food Design Institute at Otago Polytechnic allows chefs to produce large quantities of artistically designed food products by hand on a commercial scale with a small team, and at reduced cost. Otago Polytechnic’s Timothy Lynch, who and lectures on sustainability in the food industry, says they wanted to present ingredients in a way that was consistent with multisensory food design concepts. “The process involves working with natural products to design handcrafted foods that look identical to fruit and vegetables but are filled with contrasting flavours.” “Initially we couldn’t find a way to make these products on a small scale, but a collaboration with the EPIC helped us overcome several barriers, and we were able to develop a method of crafting the lifelike products using food-grade silicon moulds, which we made ourselves,” he says. Lynch says a project of this scale and complexity would require international assistance and a large team of scientists and food specialists. This would have made the project cost prohibitive by New Zealand industry standards, he says. “Thanks to the ingenuity of some of our colleagues and the dedication of our staff and students we have managed to find a way to bring these food creations to life,”- says Lynch. Senior lecturer Tony Heptinstall who has catered for Prince Charles and other royal family members says one of the objectives was to increase current industry capital through being part of an innovative collaboration between the food industry and education. “We were conscious that to inspire the students we needed to take […]

NZ well positioned to be global player in alternative protein market

Eco conscious millennial consumers are reshaping demand for alternative sources of protein according to the country’s largest manufacturer of vegetarian foods. Mark Roper spokesperson for Life Health Foods – which makes plant based Bean Supreme and recently launched Alternative Meat Co. products, says growing concern for the environment is leading this demographic to seek out other options to integrate into their diet. A nationwide survey commissioned by the company has found that millennials aged 18-34 are the most likely demographic to adopt a mostly meat-free lifestyle in the next decade. “Among this age group, factors such as concern for animal welfare and the environment were some of the most important drivers of purchase choice; whereas if you look at older consumers, health considerations and cost of meat were the primary reasons for choosing vegetarian foods,” he says. Roper says New Zealand is well positioned to take advantage of this emerging trend – which has seen accelerated growth in the global meat substitute market. “Our research is showing that many consumers are not completely replacing meat in their diet – instead, they are integrating more meat-free options throughout the week. This makes development of a plant protein market complementary to our existing agricultural exports,” says Roper. He says the new consumer driven trend is something that farmers should not fear, but rather capitalise on. “As a producer we are looking at this growth as a promising future market. As well as a growth industry locally, there is increasing demand for these products in the more well-established markets of the US and Europe where there are potentially large export opportunities for us,” he says. Roper says at the same time, New Zealand is well positioned as a producer nation to capitalise on millennial’s demand for plant based products. “As a country, we […]

Lincoln part of Australian horticultural innovation

Lincoln University is extending its expertise offshore as part of a unique Australian programme cultivating its next horticultural industry leaders. Its Faculty of Agribusiness and Commerce is involved in teaching the Masterclass in Horticultural Business course at the University of Tasmania. Lincoln’s role is led by Professor Alison Bailey and includes collaborating with the world’s top agricultural university, despite mostly staying put in New Zealand. Professor Bailey made the trip to Australia to be part of the course’s first year in 2017 and envisages more Lincoln staff making the journey this year. “It’s an exciting development to be part of,” she said. The course is the first of its kind in Australia for the horticulture industry and is specifically designed for upcoming leaders in the industry. It is being developed in Tasmania in partnership with international leaders in horticulture – Horticulture Innovation Australia, Wageningen Academy (part of Wageningen University, ranked number one globally in Agriculture) and Lincoln University. Professor Alison Bailey said Modules which Lincoln experts contribute to include horticultural management, financial management, horticultural marketing, global trends and international business, innovation and entrepreneurship, and business development and strategy. The course is offered through flexible online delivery, with three face to face intensives, or workshops, and students are tasked with developing a strategic plan for their own company. Students go online to listen to pre-recorded mini lectures of between 8-15 minutes duration. The lectures are supported by guided reading material, online mini-quizzes, and assignments to be completed by the student usually offline and then sent in electronically The course reflects Lincoln University’s focus on collaborating with other institutions.

Environment and agriculture can both benefit from trade agreement

The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTTP) trade agreement has the potential to transform the agricultural sector and at the same time benefit the environment, agribusiness expert Dr. Nic Lees of Lincoln University says. However, he added, the public needed to be convinced of that. The CPTTP is the re-negotiated Trans Pacific Partnership after the USA withdrew, and is a free trade agreement between Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. Negotiations have concluded between the countries but it is yet to be ratified by New Zealand. The TTP had met some public and political opposition. The CPTTP could change the sector from relying on low cost commodities to a focus on high value exports intimately connected to a pristine environment, Dr. Lees said. “Where New Zealand producers are exporting high value branded products we see an associated increase in concern for the environment. These producers know that they need to meet consumers demand for products to be produced ethically and sustainably.” He said tariffs on New Zealand beef exports to Japan will drop from 38.5% to 9%, saving the industry $25 million. “This reduction in tariffs will give New Zealand and Australia a competitive advantage over the USA beef in the high value Japanese market. “It will encourage New Zealand beef farmers to target high value beef cuts in the Japanese market rather than export commodity hamburger beef to the USA,” Dr. Lees added. Tariffs on kiwifruit exports to Japan, the largest importer of New Zealand kiwifruit, will be eliminated. Tariffs on wine exports to New Zealand’s fourth largest market Canada will also be removed. Overall the CPTPP could provide approximately $222m of tariff savings each year. However, he said, the public need to be convinced of these benefits. “There is […]

New $13m infant formula can facility in Christchurch

International packaging manufacturer Jamestrong has opened a state-of-art infant formula can manufacturing facility in Christchurch as part of its NZ manufacturing investment strategy. Jamestrong ANZ Managing Director Alex Commins said the Christchurch facility in Hornby will supply New Zealand milk powder to the burgeoning Chinese infant formula market. “In excess of 20 million babies are born each year in China. Producing 16,000,000 infant formula cans per year, the new Hornby facility will contribute to New Zealand’s reputation as a global leader in dairy exports and provide jobs for local workers. “It is imperative the canning facilities are in close proximity to the raw product and associated services. Christchurch is ideally located, close to NZ dairy producers and processors,” Alex said. The Hornby facility is the second of three high-care infant formula facilities Jamestrong is developing as part of its commitment to manufacturing in Australia and New Zealand. “Kyabram in regional Australia was the site of the first high-care infant formula can manufacture. A third facility in Auckland is in the planning phase and expected to be rolling cans off the line by February 2019,” Alex said.

Fonterra ventures partners PIC on Food website

Fonterra ventures partners with high growth active nutrition start-uo

Fonterra Ventures has entered into its first strategic partnership, teaming up with German active nutrition start-up foodspring® through an investment in its parent company, Goodminton AG. The new partnership will enable Fonterra to tap into the rapidly growing active nutrition consumer segment, which is valued at $200 billion globally, and forecast to expand significantly in the years to come. Judith Swales, Fonterra’s Chief Operating Officer, Velocity and Innovation says the deal creates a range of exciting new business and market development opportunities for the Co-operative. “Fonterra is a global leader in protein and high value, advanced ingredients, so it’s only right we should strive to be at the forefront of the active nutrition market. The strategic partnership with foodspring® will accelerate our progress in the category by giving us direct access to a new consumer segment. This investment is a first for Fonterra and supports our strategy to grow in high value categories. “foodspring’s impressive growth trajectory is supported by its strong direct to consumer channel and digital nutrition and wellbeing coach. By leveraging this technology and innovative business model, we’ll be able to share the goodness of dairy with more consumers around the world,” Judith added. Founded by Philipp Schrempp and Tobias Schüle, foodspring® is a high growth, active nutrition Berlin based start-up. From whey protein shakes to organic superfoods, foodspring® has a strong brand and product portfolio across the healthy eating, weight management and muscle-building categories targeting the consumer’s mind, body and soul. Their products are sold online across Europe and Asia. “We are pleased to have gained the support of one of the largest and most innovative dairy companies, which is very aligned to our business. We look forward to welcoming Fonterra Ventures on board and the synergies we can capture from our partnership,” says Tobias […]

Farm animal welfare moves up the corporate agenda

Leading global measure of how companies perform on farm animal welfare shows that ‘big business’ is getting the message: animal cruelty is bad for business. Launched in February The Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare (BBFAW) Report, now in its sixth year, demonstrates again that farm animal welfare is moving up the corporate agenda; with more companies responding to growing consumer and investor demand for better treatment of animals in their supply chains. The message is clear: cruel treatment of farm animals is not just ethically unacceptable it is also bad for business. The BBFAW report, in collaboration with World Animal Protection, Compassion in Farming and investment firm Coller Capital, is the globally recognised investor framework for assessing the quality of companies’ practices, processes and performance on farm animal welfare. In 2017, a record 110 companies sought a BBFAW ranking; up from 99 in 2016. The companies include global food brands such as McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Starbucks and New Zealand multinational – Fonterra Cooperative Group Limited. This latest Report shows that many of the 110 global food companies are increasingly integrating farm animal welfare into their management and reporting processes: 47% of these companies now have explicit board or senior management oversight of farm animal welfare, a clear indication of how seriously they regard it; 72% have published formal improvement objectives for farm animal welfare; 87 companies (79%) have made commitments on the crucial issue of avoiding close confinement in one or more of the major markets in which they operate. The most common corporate commitments relate to the elimination of cages for laying hens and the elimination of sow stalls for mother pigs. “Smart businesses know that consumers and investors will no longer tolerate cruelty to farm animals” says Ben Pearson, Senior Campaign Manager at World Animal Protection New […]

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