Agribusiness buzz in brief

Black Noble was first created in the NSW Riverina by managing director Darren De Bortoli in 1998, inspired by a wine his grandfather and company founder, Vittorio De Bortoli, produced in the 1930s.

It is crafted from the same botrytised Semillon grapes harvested for the winery’s iconic Noble One, developed by Darren and his father Deen in 1982.

Today one of the world’s most awarded wines, Noble One has proven that luxuriously sweet and hugely expensive French Sauternes-style dessert wines can be made under Australia’s much harsher climatic conditions.

The limited edition Black Noble was made using parcels of wine with an average blended age of 20 years in barrels.

With this year’s first round of trainees already in the field, farm services business, Elders is on the hunt for its next group of applicants eager to make their mark in agriculture.

Applications for the Elders traineeship program close on July 27.

Now in its sixth year, the program provides practical and realistic on-the-ground training and mentoring for the next generation of stock and station agents from experience within the nationwide Elders branch network.

It focuses on developing skills and knowledge through the provision of hands-on experience, online learning programs and face-to-face workshops.

Once such champion is Sara Graffunder, an eight-month veteran of the Elders traineeship program.

Originally from a sugar cane farm near Mackay, Queensland, Sara has worked in Dalby, Inverell, Roma and now Blackall since last October.

It’s been a whirlwind few months for her, crisscrossing NSW and Queensland in the pursuit of unique, on-the-job work experiences.

“The breadth of experience I’ve been lucky enough to gain so far, has been truly incredible,” she said.

“I could never have imagined it would provide me with as much variety and adventure.”

New Zealand-based Keytone Dairy Corporation’s 20 cent shares jumped to 36c when the company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange this week.

By week’s end the share price had almost doubled to 38c.

Keytone makes, packs and exports of dairy and nutrition blended products, with a current focus on powdered dairy products.

Keytone Dairy’s initial public offering prior to its ASX float was over-subscribed when it released 75 million ordinary shares to raise $15m, giving it  a market capitalisation of $30m prior to trading  on July 18.

Keytone Dairy’s proprietary manufacturing facility, located in Christchurch, produces commercial whole and skim milk powder as well as other dairy powder blends under its proprietary brands.

It also contract-packs powdered dairy products for major supermarkets, retail chains and other customers in NZ and China, under their private label brands.  

Managing director, James Gong, said Keytone’s ASX listing would accelerate plans for future product and distribution expansions.

“The company has already purchased land for two new manufacturing facilities,” he said.

“The new facilities will enable us to meet demand from high-volume customers in China and other Asian countries.”

Listed veterinary group, Apiam Animal Health, has signed a $400,000 distribution agreement with Korean DNA vaccine therapy company, Plumbline Life Sciences, enabling it to distribute patented immunotherapy technology products in the swine, bovine and equine industries in Australia and New Zealand.

The deal also gives Apiam first right of refusal to market Plumbline’s companion animal cancer and kidney disease therapy products in Australia and NZ and the USA and Canada.

Apiam will fund the initial costs of registration and market development of Plumbline, a listed company based in Seoul which acquired the animal health assets from US human immunotherapy company, Inovio Pharmaceuticals in 2014, and develops DNA vaccine therapy products for animals.

Apiam will also undertake applied research to demonstrate performance of the pipeline products under commercial conditions in Australian and NZ .

Managing director, Dr Chris Richards said Plumbline had a number of innovative products planned to market in the next four years and further research programs for DNA vaccines.

The local company also recently established a US distribution business, Apiam Solutions, with joint venture partner, Swine Veterinary Center.

SVC is one of the largest and well known swine veterinary groups in the world, servicing a significant percentage of the US market and a long-term shareholder in Apiam.

The US joint venture provides a pathway for commercialisation and distribution to the US pig industry as Plumbline’s pig products are approved for use in North America in the next few years.