Mazda Joins The Drive To Dairy Excellence

Wednesday, 17 November 2004, 3:58 pm
Press Release: Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd

17 November 2004

Mazda New Zealand is bringing some extra zoom to the Fonterra Westpac Dairy Excellence awards, joining the team of sponsors in search of New Zealand's top dairy farmers.

As the competition gains momentum, Mazda have confirmed their support by sponsoring the Lifetime Achievement Award and providing a brand new Mazda Bounty for the National Farm Business of the Year winner.

Mazda managing director Peter Aitken says Mazda is pleased to support an industry that makes such a significant contribution to the New Zealand economy.

"At the same time it is an opportunity to reinforce the strong relationships Mazda has with rural communities through our regional dealerships.

"We are particularly proud to be sponsor of the Lifetime Achievement Award which recognises innovation and excellence, something which as a company we strongly believe in."

Nominations for the Mazda Lifetime Achievement are sought for those individuals who have shown significant commitment and contribution to the improvement of the dairy industry both regionally and nationally.

The award will be presented to individuals in the six competition regions and to a national winner at the finals, held in June 2005.

Fonterra Director and Awards Chairman, Jim van der Poel has welcomed Mazda on board saying their support completes a strong team of industry sponsors including Pioneer, Telecom, Ravensdown, Livestock Improvement, RD1, and DTS.

"All of our sponsors play a significant role in contributing to the success of the industry by providing knowledge, resources, education and guidance to our suppliers. They also contribute greatly to the success of this event through their support and expertise, and by providing further motivation and encouragement for our suppliers to strive to be the best."

The Mazda Lifetime Achievement Award recognises individuals who have made a significant contribution across many industry areas through their vision and innovation.

"Fonterra places high importance on research and development because it enhances our business and brings advanced technologies and practices to our farmers. There are many illustrations of innovation taking place on farms and it is because of our innovative farmers that we are leaders in our field," says Jim.

Last year's national lifetime achievement winner was Mervyn Hicks, acknowledged for his invention of the rotary milking platform, an innovation that changed the face of the dairy industry. The year before, it was Dr Patrick Shannon, a Livestock Improvement scientist who researched and developed many of the major herd improvement programmes currently used by New Zealand farmers.

Entries for the Fonterra Westpac Dairy Excellence Awards close on December 20. Visit www.dairyexcellenceawards.co.nz for further details.

ENDS

Business Headlines | Sci-Tech Headlines

BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH > >

Sky City : Auckland Convention Centre Cost Jumps By A Fifth

SkyCity Entertainment Group, the casino and hotel operator, is in talks with the government on how to fund the increased cost of as much as $130 million to build an international convention centre in downtown Auckland, with further gambling concessions ruled out. The Auckland-based company has increased its estimate to build the centre to between $470 million and $530 million as the construction boom across the country drives up building costs and design changes add to the bill.
More>>

ALSO:

RMTU: Mediation Between Lyttelton Port And Union Fails

The Rail and Maritime Union (RMTU) has opted to continue its overtime ban indefinitely after mediation with the Lyttelton Port of Christchurch (LPC) failed to progress collective bargaining. More>>

Earlier:

Rail And Maritime Transport Union - Lyttelton Port workers begin overtime ban
Lyttelton Port of Christchurch - LPC operations will continue as usual during overtime ban
Environment Canterbury - Next phase of Lyttelton Port recovery underway

Science Policy: Callaghan, NSC Funding Knocked In Submissions

Callaghan Innovation, which was last year allocated a budget of $566 million over four years to dish out research and development grants, and the National Science Challenges attracted criticism in submissions on the government’s draft national statement of science investment, with science funding largely seen as too fragmented. More>>

ALSO:

NZ Govt - Submissions on future of science system
Science Media Centre - Year in Review: the big science stories of 2014

Scoop Business: Spark, Voda And Telstra To Lay New Trans-Tasman Cable

Spark New Zealand and Vodafone, New Zealand’s two dominant telecommunications providers, in partnership with Australian provider Telstra, will spend US$70 million building a trans-Tasman submarine cable to bolster broadband traffic between the neighbouring countries and the rest of the world. More>>

ALSO:

Spark NZ - New trans-Tasman telecommunications cable plan confirmed
InternetNZ - New cable a positive sign for the future

Scoop Business - ComCom pushes out final decision on Chorus copper pricing
Commerce Commission - Backdating prices for Chorus’ copper lines and broadband
TUANZ - TUANZ welcomes further clarification by Commerce Commission
Spark NZ - Spark New Zealand Moving Ahead in 4g Network Build

Statistics: Current Account Deficit Widens

New Zealand's annual current account deficit was $6.1 billion (2.6 percent of GDP) for the year ended September 2014. This compares with a deficit of $5.8 billion (2.5 percent of GDP) for the year ended June 2014. More>>

ALSO:

Scoop Business - NZ Sept quarter current account deficit near six-year high

Still In The Red: NZ Govt Shunts Out Surplus To 2016

The New Zealand government has pushed out its targeted return to surplus for a year as falling dairy prices and a low inflation environment has kept a lid on its rising tax take, but is still dangling a possible tax cut in 2017, the next election year and promising to try and achieve the surplus pledge on which it campaigned for election in September. More>>

ALSO:

BusinessDesk - Economy can grow faster than thought before inflation bites
Audio - Treasury Forecast Announcement for 2015
NZ Treasury - Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update 2014
Office of the Clerk - Public Submissions - Budget Policy Statement 2015
NZ Govt - Government focused on surplus in 2014/15 - English: National is focussed on achieving surplus
Labour - Bill English’s face is redder than his books - Failure to diversify puts prosperity at risk
United Future - Dunne Speaks - Christmas Edition
Greens - Irresponsible tax cuts lead to seventh successive deficit
NZ First - Dishonesty Only Thing in Surplus in Forecasts
CTU - Cuts in public services likely from Budget Policy Statement
PricewaterhouseCoopers - New Zealand Government signals reversal of fortune
NZ Taxpayers' Union - Cut Taxes + Cut Waste = Surplus
TV3 Video - Don't blame deficit on tax cuts - English
Earlier - Cuts to Health Suggested

Job Insecurity: Time For Jobs That Count In The Meat Industry

“Meat Workers face it all”, says Graham Cooke, Meat Workers Union National Secretary. “Seasonal work, dangerous jobs, casual and zero hours contracts, and increasing pressure on workers to join non-union individual agreements. More>>