Alliance Group faces crucial vote on Dawn Meats deal
The future of the Alliance Group is “pretty dark” if the proposed Dawn Meats deal does not go through, says board chair Mark Wynne.
Alliance Group is partnering with the global retail giant Marks & Spencer (M&S) on a range of value-add branded beef and lamb products in Singapore.
The M&S branded range, all further processed in New Zealand, is now available in 11 stores on the island, home to almost six million people.
The farmer-owned co-operative is supplying lamb mince and shoulder, French racked lamb, diced beef, minced beef and stir fry strips and sirloin, ribeye and fillet steaks.
Shane Kingston, general manager sales at Alliance Group, says M&S was looking for a trusted partner to help it meet the growing demand for protein in Singapore.
“This programme is the culmination of discussions between Alliance and M&S, which began almost two years ago. M&S recognised Alliance as a global trusted leader in the grass-fed free-range beef and lamb category.
“This partnership fits with our strategy to capture more market value and builds on our existing long-term relationship with M&S.”
The global retailer is targeting customers including locals, ex-patriates and premium ‘foodies’ customers with a promotional campaign underpinned by a ‘farmer to consumer’ story and a focus on quality.
M&S operates more than 1,500 stores across the globe and serves nearly 30 million customers every year.
Federated Farmers says it is cautiously welcoming signals from the Government that a major shake-up of local government is on its way.
Ashburton cropping and dairy farmer Matthew Paton has been elected to the board of rural services company, Ruralco.
The global agricultural landscape has entered a new phase where geopolitics – not only traditional market forces – will dictate agricultural trade flows, prices, and production decisions.
National Lamb Day is set to return in 2026 with organisers saying the celebrations will be bigger than ever.
Fonterra has dropped its forecast milk price mid-point by 50c as a surge in global milk production is putting downward pressure on commodity prices.
The chance of a $10-plus milk price for this season appears to be depleting.

OPINION: Winston Peters has described the decision to sell its brand to Lactalis and disperse the profit to its farmer…
OPINION: The Hound reckons a big problem with focusing too much on the wrong goal - reducing livestock emissions at…