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"People say it tastes different because I think it has not been stressed sitting around for hours waiting to be processed. We have had good feedback." says Kidd.
An initiative selling fresh spring lamb into Countdown supermarkets has been kicked off by Helensville farmer Richard Kidd.
Kidd is the supreme winner of Auckland's first-ever Ballance Farm Environment Awards.
He was approached Countdown with his proposal to bring back the celebration of new season lamb in New Zealand, merchandise manager meat and seafood, Alton Gullery, told Rural News.
"Traditionally the first spring lamb of the season is shipped to the UK so consumers in the northern hemisphere can enjoy Kiwi lamb in time for Christmas," he says.
"As part of the Kaipara Lamb cooperative, Kidd and seven other family farms have been able to provide new season spring lamb, exclusively for Countdown.
"New season lambs are born around June/July in the Kaipara region north of Auckland before making their way to shelves in selected Countdown stores by late October. New season lamb is very special, with only around 200 lambs being supplied to select Countdown supermarkets per week," Gullery adds.
"While the first season of Kaipara Lamb was relatively small, Countdown sold over 9000 packs of the lamb in 14 weeks -- great for customers who love lamb."
Kidd says they will start the season earlier this year and Countdown will increase the advertising including the point of sale at selected supermarkets across the north.
The lambs leave very early in the morning and go straight to processing.
"They are prime lambs straight off their mums with no drench pretty much," he says. "People say it tastes different because I think it has not been stressed sitting around for hours waiting to be processed. We have had good feedback."
Alliance Group has secured greater access for chilled beef exports into China following approval of its Levin and Mataura plants to supply that market. With its first load of beef from Levin clearing Chinese customs in early January and a shipment from Mataura recently arriving in China, journalist Leo Argent talked to Alliance general manager safety and processing Wayne Shaw.
New Zealand's red meat exports for 2024 finished on a positive note, with total export value increasing 17% over last December to reach $1.04 billion, according to the Meat Industry Association (MIA).
Alliance Group has secured greater access for chilled beef exports to China, following approval for two of its processing plants to supply the market.
Last year was tough for the red meat sector but there are positive signs, according to industry leaders.
There's been a dramatic and larger than expected drop in the number of lambs produced in New Zealand.
The recent squabble between the Cook Islands and NZ over their deal with China has added a new element of tension in the relationship between China and NZ.
The world is now amid potentially one of the most disruptive periods in world trade for a very long time.
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