Award Winners To Gain Fonterra Asian Experience

Award Winners To Gain Fonterra Asian Experience

The eight regional winners of the Fonterra Westpac Dairy Excellence Awards will gain an exclusive insight into Fonterra’s Asian business.

Awards Chairman Jim van der Poel says the winners, of the Farm Business of the Year category, will travel to Singapore and Malaysia where they will meet some of Fonterra’s key personnel and visit manufacturing operations.

“We believe the prize is innovative and will create greater understanding among our shareholders of Fonterra’s global business.

“As we export 95% of our milk products our key focus is clearly on our international markets, which means we actually employ more staff abroad than at home.

“Moving from regional manufacturing companies to a leading multinational dairy company with the creation of Fonterra has created the need to raise the understanding of our business with both our shareholders and staff. This trip provides a great opportunity.” Westpac North Island Head of Agribusiness Tony Bradley says this trip will provide the group with more knowledge about Fonterra’s marketplace.

“Given knowledge is a key tool to excellent decision making, the knowledge and information sharing on this trip will further enhance the regional winners’ operations and understandings.”

Mr van der Poel, a Fonterra Director, says travelling together the group will see first-hand a segment of Fonterra’s international operations and learn how products are tailored for specific markets. The winners will also see how some products are made and then displayed and sold in supermarkets.

In Singapore they will meet NZMP South East Asia General Manager Mark Dewdney and NEW ZEALAND MILK Asia General Manager Mark Wynne and visit customers like Wyeth Nutritional.

“The group’s visit also provides a chance for our staff to gain a shareholder perspective on the business.”

The prize is worth about $10,000, with the weeklong trip for two being led by Fonterra Field Representatives proposed for mid-June.

Entries for the awards are currently being sought and close on February 7.

As well as the Fonterra Westpac Dairy Excellence Awards Farm Business of the Year category, there are awards for Farm Manager and Environmental Performance and recognition for Lifetime Achievement in the dairy industry. The total prize pool is worth more than $150,000 with the national winner receiving a Holden vehicle and $10,000 cash.

The awards are being run in eight regions with the winner from each region progressing to a national final in Palmerston North on June 27.

The awards are supported by Dexcel and sponsored by Pioneer, Livestock Improvement, Holden, RD1, Ravensdown and DTS.

Entry forms can be obtained by calling 0800 65 65 68, or by visiting www.dairyexcellenceawards.co.nz

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