Meat & Wool NZ supports call for industry strategy

Media Release
DATE: 24 June 2009

Meat & Wool New Zealand supports call for industry strategy

Meat & Wool New Zealand welcomes the publication of MEAT: The Future, a Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) study which identifies the challenges facing the meat sector, and aims to encourage debate about the future.

“As the study notes, there are a number of fundamentals that indicate the future is bright for the New Zealand meat industry,” says Meat & Wool New Zealand Chairman, Mike Petersen.

“Our high quality natural products, rising protein prices, growth in developing nations and declining sheep numbers worldwide, point to opportunities for the meat industry.

“It is vital that the industry is repositioned to be able to take advantage of these trends and restore profitability to the sector. However, as a sector, the meat industry has not successfully addressed recurring problems and put in place better planning for the future.”

Mr Petersen was pleased to see the MAF study does not present a plan of action because farmers and industry, not government, are best placed to make commercial decisions about their future.

“Meat & Wool New Zealand continues to promote a whole of sector strategy approach to enable us to achieve our vision of a cohesive industry that is innovative, supplies world leading products and delivers viable returns.

“In the current Referendum round we’re trying to seek support from farmers to be able to lead them and the wider industry to complete a whole of sector strategy.

“So far, feedback from farmers during the consultation process indicates there is support for Meat & Wool New Zealand to actively lead the sector strategy, a view also supported by a number of meat companies.”

ENDS

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