Fonterra Co-operative Group has put on hold its plans to develop an Equity Partnership Trust that would have given its 10,500 farmer suppliers access to investor capital to help them with the compulsory purchase of Fonterra shares when they increase milk production. Chief financial officer Lukas Paravicini said the decision to shelve the trust proposal for now was a consequence of UBS deciding to end the advisory role that began late last year, for reasons unrelated to the trust itself, as well as volatility in dairy and equity markets.