Esther Guy-Meakin Appointed Chief Executive of the NZ Meat Board
Esther Guy-Meakin has been announced as the new chief executive of the New Zealand Meat Board (NZMB).
New Zealand red meat sector leaders head to Brussels this week as negotiations between the European Union (EU) and New Zealand for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) enter a critical stage.
Meat Industry Association (MIA) chief executive Sirma Karapeeva and Beef + Lamb New Zealand chief executive Sam McIvor will be supporting New Zealand trade negotiators during the talks, which are being held days before an end of June deadline to conclude an Agreement in Principle.
“Negotiations are coming to a crunch and this trip to Brussels highlights just how important these discussions are to New Zealand’s red meat sector,” says Karapeeva.
“New Zealand has been a longstanding and trusted trade partner of the EU and out companies have been providing consumers with safe, nutritious and high quality product for decades.
“Despite this, New Zealand is one of the few countries that does not have an FTA with the EU and so this is an opportunity to conclude a high quality, comprehensive and ambitious trade agreement.”
Sam McIvor, chief executive of B+LNZ, says New Zealand and the EU share common values and a commitment to high production standards and robust regulatory frameworks for food safety and quality, animal welfare and sustainability.
“A high quality and ambitious trade deal between New Zealand and the EU is a natural fit so we will be imploring our negotiators to strike a deal that reflects this and delivers real benefits to the sector.”
LIC shareholders have elected a new North Island representative to the co-operative's Board, along with five representatives to its Shareholder Reference Group (SRG), following the company's Annual Meeting held in Invercargill.
Farmers across parts of Southland and South Otago are continuing to deal with difficult conditions after a prolonged run of wet weather, with pressure building around feed supply, stock management, pasture damage, farm infrastructure and everyday workloads.
Federated Farmers says it welcomes Labour's commitment to reviewing the Sharemilking Agreements Act, calling on other major parties to do the same.
For Canterbury dairy farmers Sian Meijer and Rick Wobben, wearable technology has become one of their most valuable on-farm tools - helping manage 1850 cows across an expansive, high-performing dairy operation while improving efficiency, mating outcomes and day-to-day decision making.
Fonterra has unveiled its annual results for the 2026 financial year, posting $27 billion in revenue and close to $20 billion returned to New Zealand farmer owners and unit holders.
The first major update to the Dairy Cattle Code of Welfare in more than a decade has been released, marking what DairyNZ describes as an important step in ensuring animal welfare standards continue to evolve alongside scientific evidence and on-farm realities.