The South Island now accounts for nearly 40 percent of the nation's dairy production.The chairman of the industry-good body DairyNZ, John Luxton, said that in the 2009-2010 season, South Island dairy farms produced 565 million kilograms of milksolids of N
The South Island now accounts for nearly 40 percent of the nation's dairy production.
The chairman of the industry-good body DairyNZ, John Luxton, said that in the 2009-2010 season, South Island dairy farms produced 565 million kilograms of milksolids of New Zealand's total milk production.
"That's up more than 5.5 percent from last year," he said.
He said South Island milksolids production had more than doubled since 2000, to 39.3 percent of national milkflows, with an increase of 307 million kg milksolids (equivalent to 7.7 percent a year) and 610 new dairy herds in the past 10 years.
In 2009-10 the dairy gross revenue invested in Canterbury was $1.65 billion -- with milksolids valued at $6.37/kg -- and in Southland, it was $1.15 billion.
DairyNZ reported an overall profit of $2.4 million for the 2009-2010 financial year instead of the budgeted loss in line with the company's policy of using up accumulated cash reserves.
"The difference is attributable to the later than forecast confirmation of primary growth partnership funding from the Government," Mr Luxton said.
DairyNZ had committed funds to leverage the Government funding, but that was not secured until September, after the end of the 2009-2010 financial year.
Two postal votes were announced at the meeting, with 64 percent approving an increase in directors' remuneration and 92 percent ratifying the appointment of independent director Dr Helen Anderson to the DairyNZ board.
