Arla targets $25b in total revenue
European dairy co-operative Arla Foods is forecasting a total revenue of nearly $25 billion this year.
NZ delegation left to right: Chris Graham, Bidvest, Christchurch; Paul Ralph, Advance Marketing, Auckland; Magdalena Bajer, UPEMI; Ken Thomas, Bidvest, Rotorua; Zaneta Kijanowska, UPEMI; David Anderson, Rural News Group and Trent Millns, BX Foods, Oamaru.
It was like speed dating as meat sector participants from five countries met their Polish counterparts at a seminar in Warsaw, Poland, last month.
The event, organised by UPEMI and PABCB (see ‘Who’s who?’ below), saw around 25 delegates (meat traders, processors and exporters) from New Zealand, South Africa, Taiwan, Singapore and Kazakhstan meet members of the Polish meat industry to discuss the industry’s future and possible export co-operation.
It was all part of ‘The taste of quality and tradition directly from Europe’ – a meat promotion campaign aimed at increasing exports of Polish and European beef and pork to the markets named above.
The seminar was just one event during a week-long tour of Poland by the international delegation last month.
“The UPEMI has for years been [extensively promoting] the Polish beef and pork industries,” UPEMI president Wieslaw Rozanski told Rural News. “We hope the seminar will result in better relations, new trading contacts and an increase in meat exports to New Zealand, South Africa, Taiwan, Singapore and Kazakhstan.”
Rozanski says increasing Polish meat exports is a key objective of UPEMI. Some 30% of food produced in Poland is now exported to 70 countries. In 2015, Polish agri-food exports totalled 23.6 billion Euros – a 7.7% increase on 2014.
Polish trade with NZ is not small. In 2015, NZ exports to Poland were valued at US$122 million, while Polish exports to NZ were US$72m, of which agri and food were only $US4.8m.
Rozanski sees opportunity to grow this trade between the two countries, especially in agri-food, biotechnology and environmental protection.
When Northland leather worker Vernon Suckling started making horse saddles 50 years ago, quad bikes and side-by-side vehicles were unheard of.
Alliance Group has confirmed that eligible farmer-shareholders who supply and continue to back the business will receive up to $20 million later this year, following the strategic investment partnership with Dawn Meats.
With a general election under five weeks away, Rural News is asking major political parties about their policies and positions on key issues facing the primary sector. We will run their responses to each question over the next four weeks. The ACT Party and the Greens didn't respond in time.
The red meat sector is in great heart.
Dr Scott Champion, Foundation for Arable Research chief executive, says that everyone in the supply chain had a role to play in driving the sector's long-term success.
Entries opened on Monday, 5 October 2026 for the 2027 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards (NZDIA), which organisers describe as the nation's biggest celebration of excellence in the dairy sector.

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