40,000 meals donated as NZFN marks fifth anniversary
The New Zealand Food Network's (NZFN) fifth birthday celebrations have been boosted by a whopping five tonne meat donation from meat processor ANZCO.
Meat processor ANZCO Foods made an annual pre-tax profit of $17m last year, a 21% lift on the previous year.
Meat processor ANZCO Foods made an annual pre-tax profit of $17m last year, a 21% lift on the previous year.
The total revenue in 2016 ($1.45 billion) was slightly lower than 2015 ($1.54b) mainly as a result of foreign currency exchange rate movements.
The solid business performance was pleasing, especially given the ongoing challenges of the wider red meat industry, says managing director Mark Clarkson.
As well as its beef and lamb processing business, ANZCO has a number of innovative value-add operations and Clarkson said it was pleasing that the positive performance had occurred across both parts of the business.
In addition, a focus on working closely with majority shareholder Itoham contributed to ANZCO’s solid performance.
“Growth in the Japanese market, including grain-fed beef and manufactured food products were key areas of gain,” says chairman Graeme Harrison.
The company’s commitment and focus on health & safety delivered a substantial reduction in injury rates in the 2016 year. The company will continue to focus on this important area in 2017.
“ANZCO invested more than $23m during the year enhancing processing capability at the Rangitikei and Canterbury sites to meet customer requirements, along with a growing commitment to value-add business activities, including a significant increase in Angel Bay manufacturing capacity at ANZCO Green Island,” says Harrison.
“In addition, the company purchased the remaining 50% of its Melbourne-based blood protein and serum business, Bovogen that had been a joint venture since 2013.”
ANZCO will continue its substantial investment in enhancing capabilities in 2017.
Matt McRae, a farmer from Mokoreta in Southland who runs a sheep, beef and dairy support business alongside a sheep stud, has been elected to the Beef +Lamb NZ Board as a farmer director.
Ravensdown's next evolution in smart farming technology, HawkEye Pro, was awarded the Technology Section Award at the Southern Field Days Farm Innovation Awards in February 2026.
While mariners may recognise a “dog watch” as a two-hour shift on a ship, the Good Dog Work Watch is quite a different concept and the clever creation of Southland siblings Grace (9) and Archer Brown (7), both pupils at Riverton Primary School.
Philip and Lyneyre Hooper of the Hoopman Family Trust have tonight been named the Taranaki Regional Supreme Winners at the Ballance Farm Environment Awards.
We are not a bunch of sky cowboys. That was one of the key messages from the chairperson of the NZ Agricultural Aviation Association (NZAAA) Kent Weir, speaking at an education day at Feilding aerodrome for 25 policymakers and regulators from central and local government and other rural professionals.
New Zealand's dairy and beef industries say they welcome the announcement that the Government will invest $10.49 million in the Dairy Beef Opportunities (DBO) programme.

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