Co-op boosts chilled exports to China
Alliance Group has secured greater access for chilled beef exports to China, following approval for two of its processing plants to supply the market.
Markets for New Zealand lamb have performed strongly for the last six months, says Affco general manager Andy Leonard.
While some Brexit anxiety persists in the UK, other markets – Europe, the US, the Middle East and China -- have performed above expectations.
“Farmers should be lot happier with the state of play,” Leonard told Rural News.
He believes a shortage of lamb exports from Australia and NZ help explain the price rise. A “relatively consistent” exchange rate over the last six months is also helping farm returns.
Affco is one of NZ’s four large meat exporters; lamb and beef are its main exports.
“Lamb prices today are well above those at the same time last year; six months ago that didn’t look like happening.”
On the beef market, Leonard says it remains solid, backed by the US ground beef market holding up.
“Generally beef pricing is solid and consistent -- not too many fluctuations.”
In recent weeks most NZ meat plants have been processing cows culled by the dairy industry.
But with the dairy payout picking up, cull cow numbers are expected to drop.
Leonard says cull cow kill numbers are down 15% year-on-year. “Most beef plants would have been reasonably full but it will now start to drop off.”
Two butcheries have claimed victory at the 100% New Zealand Bacon & Ham Awards for 2025.
A Taupiri farming company has been convicted and fined $52,500 in the Hamilton District Court for the unlawful discharge of dairy effluent into the environment.
The Climate Change Commission’s 2025 emissions reduction monitoring report reveals steady progress on the reduction of New Zealand’s climate pollution.
Another milestone has been reached in the fight against Mycoplasma bovis with the compensation assistance service being wound up after helping more than 1300 farmers.
The Government’s directive for state farmer Landcorp Farming (trading as Pamu) to lifts its performance is yielding results.
The move to bring bovine TB testing in-house at Ospri officially started this month, as a team of 37 skilled and experienced technicians begin work with the disease eradication agency.
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