AgriBusiness News September 2017

28 WAIKATO AGRIBUSINESS NEWS September 2017
Fonterra cheeses take
silver in top awards
Two Fonterra NZMP cheeses have
scooped silver awards at the prestigious
international Cheese Awards held recently
at Nantwich, UK.
One of the most important
events in the global
cheese calendar, the
International Cheese Awards,
attracted a record 5,685 entries
in categories that ranged from
traditional farmhouse to speciality
Scandinavian. Cheeses
from the smallest boutiques to
the largest cheese brands in
the world vied for top honours
in the awards, now in their
120th year of competition.
NZMP Vintage Cheddar
claimed second place in the
Vintage Cheddar Cheese
Class (over 18 months), open
to non-UK creameries. This
cheese, which features in
Mainland Vintage Cheese, is
made at Fonterra’s Lichfield
site in the Waikato and is
matured for up to 24 months
before release.
NZMP Noble Cheddar,
which features in Mainland
Noble Cheese, won silver for
Best in New Zealand Cheese
Class. Crafted at Fonterra’s
Hautapu site, this reducedfat
cheddar cheese packs a
full-flavour punch.
Fonterra plant manager,
Hautapu Cheese, Ross
Burdett and Fonterra process
project manager and
Cheesemaker Iain O’Donnell
from Fonterra’s Lichfield site
agreed that their cheese teams
felt honoured to have their
work recognised on the world
stage.
Our team is delighted
to be runner up for
the Vintage Cheddar
Cheese awardy.
Ross Burdett said, “Our
team is really proud to
receive the silver for ‘Best
in New Zealand’ Cheese
award. The Nantwich cheese
awards are one of the most
highly recognised awards in
the global cheese industry so
it’s really something special
for the team. The award is
also acknowledgement of the
hard work and care they take
to make consistently great
cheeses across our product
range”.
Iain O’Donnell said,
“Our team is delighted to
be runner up for the Vintage
Cheddar Cheese award. This
is a cheese we are really
proud of, and enjoy making,
so it is great to be recognised
globally for it. Credit also
belongs to our Fonterra farmers,
whose top-quality, grassfed
milk allows us to make
top-quality cheese.”
Fonterra dairy foods category
director Casey Thomas
added “It is important for
our cheeses to measure up
against their European counterparts
and receive independent
affirmation that we
produce some of the world’s
best cheddar cheeses.”
Established in 1897, the
International Cheese Awards
at Nantwich is the biggest
cheese show in the world,
attracting entries from 50
different countries, including
USA, Australia, Canada
and New Zealand. As well
as having the chance to sample
and purchase the cheeses
on display, visitors to the
show enjoyed cheese-making
demonstrations, celebrity
cooking shows and other
attractions.
LIC to test for Mycolasma bovis
LIC, the country’s largest
supplier of dairy
genetics, will test its
artificial breeding bulls for
Mycoplasma bovis to provide
its farmers with greater peace
of mind through the dairy mating
season.
The farmer-owned co-operative
will supply approximately
three-quarters of the
dairy industry’s bull semen
this spring mating period.
The Ministry for Primary
Industries (MPI) has said there
is a low risk of transmission
via semen, but there are no
studies demonstrating that this
actually happens in practice.
Dr Richard Spelman, LIC
general manager biological
systems, said it is understandable
that farmers are concerned
about the disease and any risk
of transmission through bull
semen, but they can have confidence
in their co-op.
“Given there is currently
no evidence to suggest that the
disease is widespread in New
Zealand, we can be confident
this disease is not present in
our bulls or semen supply, but
we are taking extra precautions
to provide our farmers with
extra reassurance this mating
season.
“From a young age, all
of our bulls are permanently
kept in strict quarantine
and are under close veterinary
supervision. As part of normal
practice, collection bulls are
regularly monitored for any
signs of disease to ensure that
semen is only processed from
healthy bulls.
“Testing our bulls for the
disease will provide the extra
peace of mind that many farmers
are wanting.”
Following the discovery
of Mycoplasma bovis in July,
LIC immediately implemented
heightened hygiene precautions
for staff visiting farms as
part of infectious disease protocol
and increased quarantine
and stock control measures for
its bull farms.
Testing of the bulls will
start next week, and an extra
antibiotic will also be added
into the fresh semen diluent.
“We are confident this
disease is not present in our
bulls, but this additional antibiotic
will further safeguard
our semen supply without
impacting the semen fertility.”
Dr Spelman said all bulls
LIC is commercially selling
this season and that are on
LIC farms will be tested,
including the Premier Sires
teams, Sire Proving Scheme,
SGL and Wagyu. Results are
expected in October.
Testing our bulls
for the disease will
provide the extra
peace of mind that
many farmers are
wanting.
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027 287 7522
Ph 07 282 0174 Fax 07 282 1075
Email neil@dtilawyers.co.nz.
Level 6, Vero House, 127 Alexandra St.
PO Box 9198 Hamilton
www.dtilawyers.co.nz
30034
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