AACo board changes brewing
The Australian Agricultural Company has flagged plans to re-shape its eight member board, including increasing the number of female directors.
AACo, whose sole female board member has been Jessica Rudd since 2017, pledged to have women make up at least 30pc of its non-executive team by the end of next financial year.
Chairman Don McGauchie, who has led the company since soon after joining the board in 2010, told last week's annual general meeting directors worked together as a cohesive team, but there would be a "major focus on board redevelopment" in the next 18 months.
Long-serving directors Anthony Abraham and Tom Keene, and more recent recruit, Marc Blazer, were all re-elected at the Brisbane AGM.
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Bendigo, ING most trusted
Bendigo Bank and ING are Australia's most trusted banks, according to consumer monitoring group, Roy Morgan's latest data.
Net trust rankings for banks and financial services for the year to March 2022 also showed National Australia Bank made the most improvement in the sector in the past two years.
However, NAB's dramatic rise was not necessarily driven by a big increase in trust, but rather by significant decreases in distrust.
In late 2019 NAB rated as most distrusted of the big four banks, but now ranks higher than its three large rivals.
That said, NAB, Westpac, Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Austalia and New Zealand Banking Group all remain marginally in "net distrust" territory - along with the industry as a whole, according to customer feedback.
The banking industry's long term trend for the past four years showed, as a whole, it only climbed into "net trust" territory briefly in the second half of 2019.
Consistent high levels of customer service provided by both Bendigo Bank and ING with their leading net trust scores, with Bendigo rewarded for responding to customers promptly and taking its role in the community seriously.
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LAWD helps farmers get active
Rural property marketer and advisory firm, LAWD, has begun a three-year sponsorship of charity, Active Farmers, to support the improved health and wellbeing of residents in more than 50 small rural communities.
Founded in 2015 by fitness coach, Ginny Stevens, on her family's southern NSW farm, the not-for-profit organisation partners with local trainers in towns with less than 5000 people, providing regular fitness classes, health workshops and sporting events.
Active Farmers aims to help build more resilient rural communities with programs specifically for districts with declining sports clubs or limited access to other fitness options.
Up to 300 Active Farmers classes are held monthly in NSW, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland, Tasmania and Western Australia
NSW-based LAWD director, Tim Corcoran, Boorowa said prosperous rural communities were essential to a thriving farm sector and his company was keen to help.
The Active Farmers Games will be held in Torbay, WA on October 8 and a Run for Resilience at Table Top, NSW on October 23.
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RLF AgTech fert sales up
Newly listed specialist West Australian fertiliser producer RLF AgTech has posted a 23 per cent jump in full-year cash operating receipts from sales of its soluble crop nutrition products to $10 million and is confident of strong international growth in this financial year.
RLF's expanding international distribution network has locked in forward orders worth $2.2m for the 2023 financial year, largely from organic growth.
The company said it was yet to deploy about $8m funds raised through its initial public offering in May to expand its salesforce, however this would be a priority in 2022-23.
The business was benefitting from macro conditions such as the rising price of fertilisers, increased energy costs which were adding to mainstream fertiliser costs and restricting outpu, and urgent food security concerns.
Commercial discussions for the roll-out of a RLF Carbon were underway in Australia.
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Beef Australia goes to USA
The Beef Australia organisation will run an international study tour to the USA in February 2023.
Chief executive officer, Simon Irwin, said the new venture aligned with Beef Australia's a strategic objective to not only celebrate the industry at the triennial event in Rockhampton, but keep beef sector players engaged in learning opportunities year on year.
"Beef Australia is committed to being a world-class organisation that promotes, advances and celebrates a sustainable beef industry", he said.
Limited in places are available for the two week study tour to the Cattle Industry Convention and National Cattlemen's Beef Association Trade Show in New Orleans, before embarking on a cattle focused tour across Louisiana and Texas.
The program includes a behind the scenes look at some of those states' largest ranches, feedlots, meeting the likes of the Texas Beef Council officials, learning about cutting-edge technologies and international trends, and indulging in America's culture and beef cuisine.
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Beer taxed again
The Brewers Association of Australia says this week's tax rise on beer will be the largest in more than 30 years.
"Australians are taxed on beer more than almost any other nation," said chief executive officer, John Preston.
"We have seen almost 20 increases in Australia's beer tax in the past decade alone, with another hidden tax rise due in February.
"Brewers and pub and club operators were extremely disappointed the former Government did not deliver on a proposed reduction in beer tax at this year's March Budget."
Pub patrons would soon be faced with the prospect of regularly paying about $15 for a pint at their local.
The latest tax hike meant an increase in a small pub, club or other venue's tax bill of more than $2700 a year.
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Bubs raises $63m
Bubs Australia has raised almost $23 million from its share offer to retail investors, bringing the total amount collected from last month's capital raising to $63m.
The offer to existing shareholders was one share, valued at 52 cents, for every 10.4 already held.
Funds will be used to assist with the dairy nutritional formula maker's rapid market expansion program, including US operating expenses and capital expenditure required to expand canning capabilities at its Deloraine plant in Victoria, including a new canning line to triple capacity.
Retail shareholders only took up about 12.7m shares worth $6.6m which left the remaining 31.3m to be allocated to the entitlement offer's sub underwriters supporting Citigroup Global Markets and Bell Potter Securities.
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Fruit and veg support
Online professional development company, Dietitian Connection, is the newest member of the Fruit & Vegetable Consortium, joining alongside co-leads Nutrition Australia and Ausveg.
The consortium was formed in response to Australia's alarmingly low rates of fruit and vegetable intake and now has 280 organisations supporting its call for greater investment in changing consumer behaviour.
Member organisations include CSIRO, Deakin University's Institute of Physical Activity and Nutrition, Health and Wellbeing Queensland, Melbourne Market Authority and Wellbeing SA.
Latest Australian Bureau Statistics research showss just 6.1 per cent of adults and 8.5pc of children eat the recommended five daily serves of vegetables.
Dietitian Connection hopes its support of the consortium will elevate the role of dietitians in assisting consumers increase fruit and vegetable consumption.
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