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Fonterra Cooperative Group has opened applications for its farmer suppliers to lock in a guaranteed milk price for a portion of their milk in the coming 2015/2016 season in a price range of $4.85 per kilogram of milk solids to $5.25/kgMS, despite undersubscription for the last two offers. The upper limit matches the farmgate milk price forecast for the new season which …

Auditor-General Lyn Provost must investigate Murray McCully’s secret Saudi deal, which is attracting far too much adverse comment on the international stage to be easily swept under the carpet. Cabinet documents do not shed sufficient light on why McCully spearheaded an initiative which at its kindest interpretation resulted in a sweetheart deal to look after Saudi businessman Hamood Al-Ali Al-Khalaf, …

New Zealand commodity prices had their biggest decline since the height of the global financial crisis in 2008, led by falling dairy product prices. The ANZ Commodity Price Index fell 7.4 percent in April, the biggest decline since October 2008, when it fell by the same amount. The latest decline has reversed most of the gains seen since the start of the …

Fonterra Cooperative Group, the world’s biggest dairy exporter, has cut its forecast payout to farmers by 20 cents, blaming volatile global commodity prices and an over-supply in international markets. The Auckland-based companies has reduced its forecast farmgate milk price to $4.50 per kilogram of milk solids from $4.70/kgMS, and retained its estimated dividend range of between 20 and 30 cents, …

New Zealand recorded a bigger-than-expected trade surplus in March, as exports fell less than forecast. Statistics New Zealand said the trade surplus was $631 million in March, bigger than the $341 million expected in a Reuters poll of economists and compared with a February surplus of $83 million. Excluding the re-export of a drilling platform to Singapore, last month’s trade …

Allied Farmers, which owns a livestock business and has a holding company that is selling down loans and property assets acquired from Hanover and United Finance, plans to raise as much as $1.2 million to repay debt and provide working capital. The Hawera-based company says it will raise $200,000 to $300,000 in a private placement and up to $1 million from …

New Zealand’s Reserve Bank, the independent body which sets the benchmark interest rate, has appointed Conor English, the younger brother of Finance Minister Bill English, as one of its part-time external monetary policy advisers. Conor English, chairman of Agribusiness New Zealand and the former chief executive of Federated Farmers, will take up the role starting from the bank’s June monetary …

GeoOp, the workforce management app, said annual sales doubled after a strong pick up in customers in the last month of its financial year. Subscription revenue rose to $1.27 million in the 12 months ended March 31, from $610,000 a year earlier, the Auckland-based company said in a statement. Licensed users rose to 17,839, from 9,509 the previous year. It …

The New Zealand dollar traded close to parity with the Australian dollar amid speculation weak Australian inflation data today could push it through the historic milestone. The kiwi touched a record against the euro on concern about whether Greece will exit the common currency. The kiwi hit 99.59 Australian cents overnight and was trading at 99.51 cents at 8am in …

The acquisition of Kawarau Village  – including five star Hilton Hotel and 4.5 star Kawarau Hotel is Pengxin’s first investment in NZ tourism. After months preparation, Kawarau Hotel is rebranded as Double Tree Hotel, which is sub brand of Hilton Group. Near 100 people gathered to celebrate the opening of the first Double Tree In New Zealand. Zhaobai Jiang,chairman of Shanghai …