Silver Fern Farms CEO sees better days ahead
Despite Silver Fern Farms (SFF) posting a $21 million loss last season, chief executive Dan Boulton believes that better days are coming.
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."
Newly elected Federated Farmers meat and wool group chair Richard Dawkins says he will continue the great work done his predecessor Toby Williams.
Hosted by ginger dynamo Te Radar, the Fieldays Innovation Award Winners Event put the spotlight on the agricultural industry's most promising ideas.
According to DairyNZ's latest Econ Tracker update, there has been a rise in the forecast breakeven milk price for the 2025/26 season.
Despite the rain and a liberal coating of mud, engines roared, and the 50th Fieldays Tractor Pull Competition drew crowds of spectators across the four days of the annual event.
Nationwide rural wellbeing programme, Farmstrong recently celebrated its tenth birthday at Fieldays with an event attended by ambassador Sam Whitelock, Farmers Mutual Group (FMG), Farmstrong partners, and government Ministers.
Six industry organisations, including DairyNZ and the Dairy Companies Association (DCANZ) have signed an agreement with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to prepare the country for a potential foot and mouth outbreak.
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