Job losses worry meat sector
New Zealand's meat processing industry says, while it supports moves away from coal, it has some major concerns about cuts to livestock numbers as proposed in the recent Climate Change Commission’s draft report.
This follows the success of three MIE-linked candidates gaining board positions on the Alliance and Silver Fern Farms cooperatives.
"The election results and a strong lift in voter turnout have sent a clear message to the boards, the government, and the rest of the industry that farmers want change," he says.
"The next step is for both co-op boards to come together to put forward full and open information about the risks and rewards of consolidation."
McCarthy says the industry urgently needs a new model that delivers profitability and improved returns to farmers or there won't be a supply base to sustain the industry.
Candidates endorsed by MIE were elected to the boards of Alliance and Silver Fern Farms in elections for farmer-elected directors. Don Morrison of Gore was elected to the Alliance board, and Richard Young of Gore and Dan Jex-Blake of Gisborne were elected to the board of Silver Fern Farms.
Alliance shareholders also voted by a clear majority for a shareholders resolution asking the Alliance board to appoint Fonterra director John Monaghan to the board.
McCarthy hopes the board of Alliance Group listens to the request of its shareholders and appoints Monaghan. "Even though the resolution was non-binding, the Alliance board needs to very carefully consider the request from its shareholders," he says.
McCarthy says MIE feels a sense of responsibility to maintain momentum on industry reform now that so many farmers have made an effort to become more engaged with co-ops and make their voices heard. The Alliance election saw 48.83% of eligible votes returned in a postal ballot, compared to 25% in 2012. Silver Fern Farms saw voter turnout rise from 16.7% last time to 26.76% for this election.
McCarthy says the most heartening aspect of MIE's campaign has been the significant rise in participation by co-op shareholders in the elections. "Driving participation was at the core of what we set out to do," he says. "Co-ops are key to building a better industry around a cooperative model where farmers can lift incomes and build wealth in high performing assets."
McCarthy welcomes Silver Fern Farms' acknowledgement that farmers have spoken and that the co-op wishes to play its part in advancing reform. "We're most certainly not going to go away, or lessen our efforts to improve outcomes for sheep and beef farmers."
