increase font size
Federated Farmers says the New Zealand meat export industry needs to make up lost ground with a boost to marketing beef and sheepmeat overseas.
Meat and fibre spokesperson Rick Powdrell says the figures show primary industries in farmers-keen-for-meat-export-boost.
"Beef + Lamb New Zealand has identified we aren't putting enough effort into promoting our meat exports at the moment and it has been working with the meat industry to get a joint farmer/industry promotion of NZ$7 - $8m a year commitment together. I commend that.
"It's been disappointing over the past few years for farmers, who are heavily investing in more efficient production on farm, to then see the value of their product being let down overseas. The need for collaborative marketing was identified back in the Red Meat Strategy back in 2011. I would hate to see meat industry politics derail or water down this proposal."
Powdrell says he is confident that the great majority of farmers back him and believe the promotion is important.
"Time after time market surveys have shown overseas consumers rank New Zealand food very highly."
Powdrell says he understands New Zealand meat exporters are competing with each other.
"They need to do that for their shareholders and stakeholders. But they should not be short-term trading at the expense of long term collaborative promotion for the benefit of both them individually and their farmer suppliers.
"You just need to visit the marketplace to realise the competition is not from here in New Zealand, but it's from the mega animal proteins, such as pork and chicken," he says.
"We need to market sheepmeat from New Zealand as a distinctive product and the fact that our beef animals are grass fed – and not grain fed – is a market plus, which we haven't put enough effort into."
Powdrell warns any such promotion will take a while to make a real difference in prices.
"The Norwegian salmon industry is a benchmark for well researched, managed and funded international promotion. The Norwegians are quite clear their international marketing is a long-term project. But in that long term the evidence is that it makes a huge difference to producer returns."
OPINION: Recent media commentary from Southland Federated Farmers has raised concerns among our rural communities, particularly around Environment Southland’s approach to winter grazing inspections and nitrogen reporting. But let’s be clear, much of what’s been said simply doesn’t reflect reality.
OPINION: Environment Canterbury's (ECan) decision recently to declare a so-called “nitrate emergency” is laughable.
A shameless political stunt is how Federated Farmers is describing the Canterbury Regional Council decision to declare “a nitrate emergency” on the back of its latest annual groundwater quality survey.
Federated Farmers say Environment Canterbury's decision to declare a 'nitrate emergency' is a shameless political stunt that won't help anyone.
Farmers want the Government to scrap controversial freshwater rules that "put river spirits and ideology ahead of practical water use", says Federated Farmers board member Mark Hooper.
Meat co-operative, Alliance has met with a group of farmer shareholders, who oppose the sale of a controlling stake in the co-op to Irish company Dawn Meats.
Rollovers of quad bikes or ATVs towing calf milk trailers have typically prompted a Safety Alert from Safer Farms, the industry-led organisation dedicated to fostering a safer farming culture across New Zealand.
The Government has announced it has invested $8 million in lower methane dairy genetics research.
A group of Kiwi farmers are urging Alliance farmer-shareholders to vote against a deal that would see the red meat co-operative sell approximately $270 million in shares to Ireland's Dawn Meats.
In a few hundred words it's impossible to adequately describe the outstanding contribution that James Brendan Bolger made to New Zealand since he first entered politics in 1972.
Dawn Meats is set to increase its proposed investment in Alliance Group by up to $25 million following stronger than forecast year-end results by Alliance.
OPINION: Ageing lefty Chris Trotter reckons that the decision to delay recognition of Palestinian statehood is more than just a fit…
OPINION: A mate of yours truly recently met someone at a BBQ who works at a big consulting firm who spent…
