Fonterra says its opening forecast farmgate milk price had been set at $7.00 per kg of milk solids for the 2013/14 season - up $1.20.

Fonterra would have been startled to wake up yesterday to the Herald's front-page photo of Sir Henry van der Heyden emblazoned with "Don't ever trust them", writes Fran O'Sullivan.

Former Fonterra chairman Sir Henry van der Heyden has apologised to China, its people and Government for telling an audience never to trust the Chinese.

The only way to protect milk from light damage is to block out all light. The trade off, however, is the inability to see how much is left, writes Peter McClure.

Fonterra's Malaysian operation has doubled its revenue in local currency terms over the past five years.

Prices have fallen more than 7 per cent in the latest global dairy auction held overnight. It comes after a slight dip in prices two weeks ago.

Shares in the Fonterra Shareholders Fund rallied to their highest ever point today after the co-operative announced that it plans to cut 300 jobs.

Light-proof bottles claimed as a world first by Fonterra have been used by dairy companies overseas for more than a decade. But Fonterra has defended the claim.

A light-proof milk bottle described as a world innovation is being criticised by recyclers who say the complex packaging has a number of drawbacks.

An industry group is continuing to defend itself against accusations that it damaged this country's lucrative reputation for safe dairy products during a visit to a trade show in China this month.

A stoush has erupted in the lucrative infant formula export industry after Chinese media outlets published articles about a newly formed export association.

Prices of dairy products recorded their smallest gain this year, edging up to a new record.

Fonterra is shaking up its organics business to refocus supply in the central and lower North Island, leaving Northland organic farmers out in the cold.

Supermarkets around the world are selling Anchor milk and Fernleaf butter that is not produced on New Zealand farms.

Fonterra's not-so-little brother, Westland Milk, says it's sticking with its co-operative model.

Maori-controlled, with a Vietnamese connection, one of the country's newest dairy companies does things a little bit differently from the big boys, discovers Jamie Gray.

With the rapid adoption of modern farming technologies, agriculture is an increasingly important part of the economy, writes John Wilson.

Dairy giant to pick up the premium it has so far left on the table, writes Fran O'Sullivan.

Prices of dairy products have surged to a record in Fonterra's latest global online auction as traders competed for a shrinking volume of drought-affected milk powder.

Led by dairy products, prices for export commodities surged last month - and this time the rise in world prices was not eaten up by a higher exchange rate.