Nominations are sought for the 2017 Rabobank Leadership Awards, recognising outstanding leadership among accomplished and up-and-coming leaders in the food, beverage and agribusiness industries.
The two peer-nominated annual awards – the leadership and emerging leader awards – are among the industry’s most highly-regarded accolades.
They acknowledge the critical contribution of good leadership to the success of the food and agribusiness sector.
The leadership award is presented to an individual who has built an expansive career in management and leadership in Australian or New Zealand and has, as a senior executive, led sustained growth, also demonstrating a wider commitment to the community.
Last year’s winner was NZ meat industry pioneer, Sir Graeme Harrison, founder and chairman exporter, ANZCO.
The emerging leader title recognises the contribution and role of up-and-coming farmers and those in the wider agribusiness sector.
It went to Australian Fresh Leaf Herbs co-founder, Jan Vydra, last year.
Nominations close on July 12, with the winner announced on October 12.
Investors join CropLogic
Christchurch-based precision agricultural company, CropLogic, has been over-subscribed by investors taking part in a $2 million pre-initial public offer (IPO) capital raising prior to its listing on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX).
The pre-IPO raise was led by Hunter Capital Advisors, the lead manager of CropLogic’s anticipated public float and a specialist in the technology and mining sectors, particularly ag tech and biotech innovations.
CropLogic will use the funds to acquire a US agronomy services company and to support its working capital base.
Hunter Capital Advisors managing director, Stephen Silver, said the agri-tech sector was experiencing significant investor interest at present, driven by the need to support global population growth, scarcity of water and need for food security.
CropLogic’s technology assists crop growers with their irrigation requirements, nitrogen requirements and yield.
New Inghams director
Poultry producer, processor and marketer Inghams Group Limited has appointed retail and health products director, Helen Nash, to its board.
Ms Nash, a non-executive director of Blackmores, Southern Cross Media and Metcash, is a board director of Pacific Brands and held senior executive roles with McDonald’s Australia and Procter and Gamble.
Inghams chairman Peter Bush said her experience in many sectors of the food industry represented a great resource for the board.
Inghams recently extended its national agreement as the majority poultry products supplier to Woolworths supermarkets in Australia until mid-2021.
The supply relationship dates back 60-plus years.
A2 production lifts
The A2 Milk Company says in response to continuing strong demand for its A2 Platinum infant formula, it has been working closely with its New Zealand infant formula manufacturing
partner, Synlait Milk, to lift the production schedule for the remainder of 2016-17.
Group revenue was now forecast to be about $520 million ($NZ545m) for the financial year, an increase of approximately $19m on expectations in late April.