As chief executive of Kiwi Dairies, one of the two milk companies that merged with the Dairy Board to form Fonterra, he was an architect of the integrated supply chain model that became Fonterra.

It is now being applied to other sectors of New Zealand agribusiness, and is finally gaining traction with the ailing meat industry.

He became the inaugural chief executive of Fonterra, but was dumped two years later when his contract was not renewed.

In 2003, he formed Rural Portfolio Investments, a 50:50 partnership with the McConnon family of Otago. That company obtained a controlling interest in rural services company Wrightson in 2004.

Wrightson soon took over North Island rural services company Williams & Kettle, and by 2005 the amalgamation of a big section of the country’s rural services was completed when Wrightson merged with South Island-based Pyne Gould Guinness to form PGG Wrightson (PGW).

Since then, PGW has set up Farming Systems Uruguay, which may be used to source livestock under the new PGW-SFF plan.

As well, PGW is bringing about rationalisation in New Zealand’s strong wool industry in partnership with a grower co-operative. This will complement its 50% share in the New Zealand Merino Company.

Last year, Mr Norgate said in a New Zealand Herald article that a big challenge for 2008 was fixing the New Zealand meat industry.