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Beef + Lamb chairman Andrew Morrison.
Despite the unknowns of Brexit and the US-China trade war, New Zealand’s sheep and beef farmers are pretty bullish about the future.
Research by Beef + Lamb NZ shows that 70% of beef farmers and 64% of sheep farmers are positive about their industry.
BLNZ chair Andrew Morrison says the confidence comes with strong prices and a favourable $NZ. He cautions that traditionally August is the time when prices are high.
“While we’re fortunate to be enjoying high prices for our beef, lamb, and mutton at the moment,” Morrison told Rural News. “We need to be mindful that these aren’t guaranteed longer term, even though there are solid indicators that global demand for NZ’s sheepmeat and beef will remain strong.”
He says the implications of drought in Australia, France and Ireland also need to be taken into account, as do global trade issues.
“The other issue on their radar is the rise of alternative proteins. You can have all your good production systems back home and tick all the boxes such as greenhouse gas emissions and water. But if you get trade protectionism, it shuts you out of those key markets and that can stymie us at the last hurdle.”
Morrison says BLNZ, as an organisation, has been proactive in dealing with trade issues, e.g. its strategy ‘refresh’ that set specific priorities in trade and other areas of the business. Demand for grass-fed lamb is strong and it is moving into the high end of the market.
But although lamb is now doing well, no guarantees come with any market. And while sheep and beef farmers are bullish about the future they are watching for challenging headwinds.
“The sheep and beef sector is well positioned to respond to these challenges,” Morrison says.
“We have the Taste Pure Nature country-of-origin brand which will promote NZ’s premium grass-fed red meat overseas.
“We’re partnering with central and local government to develop better regulations that work for farmers and the environment, and we’re helping farmers to improve their environmental performance.”
Progeny testing at Pāmu’s Kepler farm in Southland as part of Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s Informing New Zealand Beef programme is showing that the benefits of hybrid vigour could have a massive impact on the future of beef breeding.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) has reiterated calls for New Zealand to revise its methane targets after the Government's "disappointing" announcement of its revised Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) is having another crack at increasing the fees of its chair and board members.
Next month, the Beef Breeder Forum is set to give farmers an opportunity to hear about the latest developments in the beef industry.
More than 260 people gathered at Muller Station in Marlborough recently to celebrate the 2024 Westpac + OsGro Marlborough Farmer of the Year winner.
Commodity prices and interest rates play a huge role in shaping farmer confidence, but these factors are beyond their control, says Federated Farmers dairy chair Richard McIntyre.
DairyNZ is supporting a proposed new learning model for apprenticeships and traineeships that would see training, education, and pastoral care delivered together to provide the best chance of success.
Two agritech companies have joined forces to help eliminate manual entry and save farmer time.
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.
Former Westland Milk boss Richard Wyeth is taking over as chief executive of Canterbury milk processor Synlait from May 19.
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