Red meat rebound
The red meat sector is poised for a strong rebound this season, with export receipts forecast to top $10 billion and farm profitability to almost double.
Southland sheep and beef farmer Andrew Morrison is the new chairman of Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ).
Morrison takes the Chair after four years on the board representing the Southern South Island region. He was elected at B+LNZ annual meeting last week.
Along with his wife Lisa, Morrison farms a total of 1030ha of breeding and finishing units spread between Southland and Otago. He actively farms the couple’s 150ha home farm near Gore – although Lisa is in charge of the day-to-day management. The couple has two children Bryn (19) and Kelly (15).
Morrison says he feels privileged to take up the role of chairman at B+LNZ.
“I love the sector we operate in and it has treated us very well. It is not always easy, but it is a truly great values-based sector to be part of. These farming values flow into rural communities.
“I am a strong believer in the contribution healthy rural communities make to the wider economy. I see merit in supporting and enhancing the unbelievable potential we have in agriculture and in rural communities.”
Morrison takes up the reins after previous chairman James Parsons stepped down after four years at the helm.
Morrison will be leading B+LNZ as the levy-funded organisation implements a revised strategy. Released last year, this strategy puts more emphasis on enhancing farmers' environmental position, unlocking market potential and greater government and public insight engagement – while still supporting farming excellence.
Morrison also sits on the boards of Ballance Agri-Nutrients, Ovis Management Ltd, the New Zealand Meat Board and the Pastoral Greenhouse Gas Research Consortium.
A blockbuster year and an exciting performance: that's how Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) Director General, Ray Smith is describing the massive upsurge in the fortunes of the primary sector exports for the year ended June 2025.
Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford says the 2025 Fieldays has been one of more positive he has attended.
A fundraiser dinner held in conjunction with Fieldays raised over $300,000 for the Rural Support Trust.
Recent results from its 2024 financial year has seen global farm machinery player John Deere record a significant slump in the profits of its agricultural division over the last year, with a 64% drop in the last quarter of the year, compared to that of 2023.
An agribusiness, helping to turn a long-standing animal welfare and waste issue into a high-value protein stream for the dairy and red meat sector, has picked up a top innovation award at Fieldays.
The Fieldays Innovation Award winners have been announced with Auckland’s Ruminant Biotech taking out the Prototype Award.
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