Confidence in long-term market-led strategy
Farmers should have confidence in the long term value of Silver Fern Farms market-led strategy.
Shanghai Maling's investment of $360m into Silver Fern Farms in return for 50% ownership is a game changer into a complex market, says SFF chief executive Dean Hamilton.
The can bring some real value to the company on a number of fronts, he told a China Business Summit in Auckland today. They are 38% owned by Bright Food, one of the largest food conglomerates in China.
"We visited an enormous inland customs clearance business in the middle of Shanghai which is very exciting for us in terms of our ability to bypass the port clearance system so we think that will give us a quite exciting opportunity," Hamilton said.
"Secondly Shanghai Maling have the largest fresh pork distribution business in Shanghai so they know how to handle chilled product, they have their own trucks. So in terms of partnering with someone who understands that part of the supply chain, we believe that has got great opportunity.
"Thirdly between themselves and Bright they have over 6000 supermarkets. So trying to get in into a very complex part of the end market, the opportunity to leverage those supermarket will put us in a unique position."
Fourthly they have a direct to home business now, he said.
“We’re not normal.” That’s how Jack Walters, executive director of Pungent Pukeko, describes his gin brand, which has just won gold at the World Gin Awards.
Dr Tim Harwood, a seafood food safety research leader, has been awarded the 2026 Significant Contribution Award at the New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology (NZIFST) Food Industry Awards.
Today marks the first day of operations for Waikato Waters, a new council-controlled organisation established by six district councils to deliver water and wastewater services for their communities.
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has announced has opened applications for the 2026/27 funding round of the Greenhouse Gas Inventory Research (GHGIR) fund.
New Zealand’s vegetable sector will take centre stage at Parliament today, celebrating a vital industry and sharing a clear, future focused vision for how it can continue to thrive.
New Zealand red meat exports reached a second consecutive monthly record in May, rising to $1.6 billion, according to the Meat Industry Association.

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