![Ingham's Group achieves a sustainable borrowing first. File photo. Ingham's Group achieves a sustainable borrowing first. File photo.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/32XghFRykTWK8psrWNhdBMC/d71db6b7-e952-43df-a040-479e3e27ea15.jpg/r1110_435_4058_2100_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Ingham's debt goes green
Poultry giant, Ingham's Group, has converted its entire $545 million debt facility to a sustainability linked loan.
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The deal with the ANZ Banking Group is being promoted as the first transaction of its kind for an Australian poultry company.
The loan incorporates sustainability performance targets which incentivise reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, water use and landfill.
The SLL links the cost of borrowing to performance against a defined set of 2030 sustainability targets.
Managing director, Andrew Reeves, said the groundbreaking transaction reaffirmed Ingham's sustainability leadership position in Australasia, demonstrating a commitment to achieving ambitious environmental goals which would directly benefit stakeholders.
ANZ sustainable finance executive director, David Simmons, said targets within the loan would hopefully inspire others along a similar pathway.
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![ProTen's chicken business is being readied for sale. File photo. ProTen's chicken business is being readied for sale. File photo.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/32XghFRykTWK8psrWNhdBMC/5f9b3685-6591-4bce-bfe1-f58ebdc64d3f.jpg/r0_9_1649_1062_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Roc fattens ProTen for sale
Australia's largest grower of broiler chickens looks set to be offered for sale by its owners of the past six years, Australia's third biggest superannuation fund, Aware Super.
ProTen, which produces about 133 million chickens a year, or about 20 per cent of the national meat bird flock, is managed by increasingly prominent agribusiness investor, Roc Partners.
Last year Roc Partners's Premium Food Fund and partner investors paid about $300m to buy NSW-based egg industry giant, Pace Farms, adding to its investments in tillage machinery, Wagyu beef, honey and glasshouse tomatoes.
Under Roc's management, ProTen has accumulated about 561 broiler sheds on 47 farms in NSW, Queensland ,South Australia and Queensland, doubling bird numbers from about 68m a year when Aware bought in.
ProTen's capital structure is currently being reviewed by Macquarie Bank, after which a sale process is considered likely to commence.
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![Financially-stretched Cann Group sells greenhouse gear. File photo Financially-stretched Cann Group sells greenhouse gear. File photo](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/32XghFRykTWK8psrWNhdBMC/e7f7f7fe-abfc-4834-98df-f849bec2d84a.jpg/r0_153_3000_1846_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Cannabis kit to Biortica
Medicinal cannabis grower, Biortica Agrimed, has paid $1.65 million for greenhouse equipment being offloaded by the beleaguered western Victorian cannabis business, Cann Group.
The Mildura-based Cann Group, resumed share trading on the Australian Securities Exchange in early June after a two-month voluntary suspension which followed solvency queries by the ASX and a $14.3m net loss reported in the first six months of last financial year (and a $19m loss in the prior period).
Cann management said it had made structural changes necessary to grow a robust and profitable cannabis business, although its share price has tracked lower since trading resumed, dipping from 51 cents to around 30c/share at the start of July.
Biortica, which has greenhouse sites at Bunyip in Victoria's Gippsland and Lismore on the NSW Far North Coast, had already paid $200,000 for some of Cann's surplus gear since March.
The purchases will allow two new glasshouses to be completed ahead of time and below budget.
Chief executive officer, Tom Varga, said Biortica's existing glasshouses were at capacity with production fully sold through to the second quarter of 2024-25 and the company needed additional capacity.
The Cann equipment, plus construction work already underway at Biortica's Victorian and NSW sites, would add 16,000 square metres of new capacity, scheduled to be on-line in coming months.
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![Big honey brands attract interest. File photo Big honey brands attract interest. File photo](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/32XghFRykTWK8psrWNhdBMC/88782ba1-5f58-481d-b6f2-dd3db85d8554.jpg/r0_275_2942_1929_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Honey sale buzz
Nestle's Health Sciences business is poised to sell the prominent New Zealand manuka honey brand, Egmont Honey, owned in partnership with founder, James Annabell.
Egmont products include food and skincare lines and sell in 25 countries to retailers such as Aldi, Costco, Walmart and Chemist Warehouse.
Pure strength manuka honey lines can retail for close to $1000 a kilogram.
Meanwhile, listed NZ honey producer, Comvita, recently announced it would not sell its business to European investment group, CVC Capital Partners.
Earlier this year the company said it received an unsolicited, indicative, non-binding offer, but after saying the proposal was worthy of careful consideration because it involved a significant share price premium, Comvita said it would not go ahead with the deal.
It remained confident it was well placed for success in the medium to long term.
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![Jane Weatherley, MLA Jane Weatherley, MLA](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/32XghFRykTWK8psrWNhdBMC/6bab299c-ab3d-495b-8844-7e2981f03079.jpg/r0_0_660_936_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
MLA research boss
Meat and Livestock Australia has moved Dr Jane Weatherley from her role as communications and adoption chief to become its research, development and adoption general manager.
Dr Weatherley will oversee MLA's investment in on-farm and off-farm research and development projects and will manage stakeholder relationships, including with federal and state governments, producer groups, research bodies and universities.
Previously she was seven years in the chief executive officer's role at Integrity Systems Company, a MLA subsidiary.
She has also been MLA's livestock productivity general manager, managing Meat Standards Australia, livestock genetics and sheep productivity research, development and extension.
MLA managing director, Michael Crowley, said in her 12 years working for MLA and ISC, she had gained extensive experience in leading successful research outcomes for red meat producers and had an incredible track record of delivering high value and impactful initiatives
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Heartland technology chief
New Zealand-based digital lender Heartland Bank has appointed Vaughan Dixon as its new chief technology and operations officer.
Heartland is the parent company to specialist short term livestock finance provider, StockCo, which has been operating in Australia since 2014, with origins dating back to 1995 in NZ.
Heartland focuses on providing banking products through digital channels, including term deposit and reverse mortgages.
Mr Dixon was previously chief information officer at humm group, a founder of the Decision Intellect business, and spent more than a decade at analytics giant Dun and Bradstreet Australia.
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FRRR offers ANZ cash
Applications for the 2024 ANZ Seeds of Renewal program, with grants of up to $15,000 available for not-for-profit organisations and community groups in remote, rural, and regional Australia are open until August 1.
The Australia and New Zealand Banking Group has been partnering with the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR) to fund more than 850 community groups through the program since 2003.
The support has been worth more than $6 million.
The program offers a total $250,000 to community groups aligned to four areas - environmental sustainability initiatives which restore and conserve the natural environment; financial wellbeing projects to improve economic participation, financial literacy and vocational skills in the community; housing access for those at risk or experiencing homelessness or needing disability support, and, projects which help communities to thrive with build economic and social sustainability.
"Many rural and regional Australia find it difficult to access the resources they need to prosper - this program is something we're really proud of," said ANZ agribusiness head, Mark Bennett.
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Wine training at school
Wine Australia has launched a transformational online asset for students, teachers, and primary and high schools providing a real-world connection from the vineyard and winery to Australia's education curriculum.
The Careers in viticulture and wine website provides age-appropriate information, helping students explore a diverse range of careers available in the sector.
It includes teaching resources and various activities to connect key school subjects with the sector's production and operations, while also offering the grape and wine sector a chance to connect with local and regional schools.
Wine Australia chief executive officer, Dr Martin Cole, said the resource was developed in response to grape and wine industry feedback to provide budding viticulturists, winemakers, agtech specialists and marketers with a hands-on opportunity to hear directly from those with expertise and nurture their career interests.
It has been "road-tested" with school students primary to Year 12.