Alliance Group faces crucial vote on Dawn Meats deal
The future of the Alliance Group is “pretty dark” if the proposed Dawn Meats deal does not go through, says board chair Mark Wynne.
Alliance Group’s Pure South Lamb and Pure South Handpicked Beef 55 Day Aged have been awarded gold medals at New Zealand’s Outstanding Food Producers Awards.
The awards celebrate Kiwis who harvest, grow and produce New Zealand’s outstanding food and drink. Entries are judges on a range of criteria including aroma, visual appearance, flavour, consistency, quality, sustainability, brand story and packaging.
Shane Kingston, general manager sales at Alliance Group, says the gold medals underline the co-operative’s reputation for food excellence and innovation.
“There is exceptional demand for Handpicked Beef, which is wet aged for 55 days – a significantly longer period than other wet aged products on the market. Our team has found that his period profoundly increases the meat’s flavour complexity, tenderness and texture.”
Kingston says Alliance’s reputation for producing some of the world’s finest lamb is well-known.
“The passion, pride and dedication of our farmers and our meticulous commitment to quality are hallmarks of Pure South Lamb. Whilst external recognition is always appreciated, this gold medal will be no surprise to our many customers around the world who seek out Pure South Lamb for its delicately flavoured eating experience, fresh aroma and leanness.”
The judges commented that Pure South Lamb was “an incredibly luxurious fine textured lamb. The little layer of fat around the rack was perfectly proportioned and made the cut. The flavour of fat was tasty and fantastic -- have not tasted better”.
Federated Farmers says it is cautiously welcoming signals from the Government that a major shake-up of local government is on its way.
Ashburton cropping and dairy farmer Matthew Paton has been elected to the board of rural services company, Ruralco.
The global agricultural landscape has entered a new phase where geopolitics – not only traditional market forces – will dictate agricultural trade flows, prices, and production decisions.
National Lamb Day is set to return in 2026 with organisers saying the celebrations will be bigger than ever.
Fonterra has dropped its forecast milk price mid-point by 50c as a surge in global milk production is putting downward pressure on commodity prices.
The chance of a $10-plus milk price for this season appears to be depleting.

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