The impact of drought in February, March and April on dairy farms was greater than Fonterra Cooperative Group anticipated, with milk collection down 0.5 percent in the first 11 months of the season. The Auckland-based company collected 1.414 million kilograms of milk solids in the latest 11 months, from 1.421 million kgMS in the same period a year earlier, it …

Synlait Milk, which operates the largest purpose built infant formula plant in the southern hemisphere, will spend $15 million to enable its factory to produce more soluble powder for China’s expanding US$15 billion market. The move will enable Canterbury-based Synlait to better compete with Dutch-based FrieslandCampina which operates the world’s only other factory able to produce lactoferrin as a spray …

Shell New Zealand has announced it will start preliminary exploration for oil and gas in deep ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia, in a 50/50 joint venture with the Chinese state-owned oil company. Shell says it will be conducting two-dimensional seismic exploration and other “non-invasive research techniques” to explore the seabed and geology of the virtually unexplored New Caledonia …