Move over ham, here comes lamb
It’s official, lamb will take centre stage on Kiwi Christmas tables this year.
Social media is helping our beef and lamb exporters win new fans.
Facebook is playing an increasingly important role in Beef + Lamb New Zealand's international marketing programmes, as more and more tech-savvy shoppers turn online for the scoop on consumer products.
In Germany, the UK, and now Taiwan too, social networking website Facebook is enabling communities of fans to come together and tell their friends about how much they love New Zealand beef and lamb.
Crucially, the site provides a forum for consumers to share information and inspiration, as well as seek it. Fans can post recipes and pictures of dishes that they've cooked, ask questions – and answer them.
"Word of mouth has always been the best form of advertising," says Craig Finch, B+LNZ general manager market development.
"Facebook is just a modern way of doing that, with a growing number of champions for New Zealand beef and lamb in our key export markets."
Beef + Lamb New Zealand has consumer websites in the UK, Germany, Korea and Japan, as well as one for China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, and jointly hosts another in the US.
"They're a valuable way of providing easily accessible product information that helps to boost people's preference for buying Kiwi," Finch says. "Adding Facebook to the mix only increases our reach even further."
For the third season in a row, Fonterra farmers are in for a farmgate milk price near $10/kgMS.
The chief executive of Apples and Pears New Zealand, Danielle Adsett, says fruit quality this year is phenomenal and the sector is hitting crop estimates, which is great for growers.
Centre right parties are backing policy positions pushed by three farmer lobby groups ahead of the general election.
Waikato agribusiness leader Geoff Maber has been appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) in the 2026 King's Birthday Honours.
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Mainland Poultry has confirmed new ownership of its vertically integrated agribusiness with Pacific Equity Partners Gateway (PEP Gateway) now joining current shareholders Navis.

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