Bob Edlin: Yili’s gain on the West Coast brings a $500,000 windfall to farmers – but local leaders lament sale to foreigners

Westland  Milk  Products  farmer-shareholders  voted overwhelming in the past week to accept  the  $558m  takeover bid   by   Chinese  giant  Yili  for the   co-op’s  milk processing  operation.

For  individual  farmer shareholders, the  bid  means an injection of  around  $500,000 each  into their  bank accounts,  plus better  returns for their milk  over  the  next  10 years.

No wonder  94%  of the  96% eligible shareholders  cast their votes in   favour.  West Coast farmer and Federated Farmer president Katie Milne, who is also a WMP director, said it was an “absolutely stunning” result for West Coast farmers.

Yet the  sale  is lamented  by  many local leaders, as well  as  by  NZ  First  whose spokesman  Mark Patterson  wailed about an  “alarming trend”.