West Coast farm looks a picture on new packaging
Images of Graeme McNabb’s farm on the West Coast will soon be hitting supermarket shelves around the world.
Grass-fed meat out of New Zealand is the “caviar of the future”, says Stu Chapman, who stepped down this month as Elders NZ managing director after 21 years with the company.
Agriculture in NZ has a big future, says Chapman.
“We are a food bowl, there is no doubt,” he told Rural News. “We must protect our biosecurity; we need to protect our borders and the fact that we are seen as a supplier of quality food through different parts of the world.
“We need to make sure we hang onto that NZ Inc brand because we are not a low cost producer any more.
“There are a lot of countries around the world that can produce that same product cheaper than us but we have a reputation as delivering quality safe products.”
Chapman says he can’t remember the last time sheepmeat, beef meat and wool were well ahead of dairy, as they are now.
The red meat sector in NZ has bright prospects. “Grass-fed meat out of NZ is potentially the caviar of the future,” he says.
“So for me the sheep and cattle future looks extremely bright and exciting.”
Six industry organisations, including DairyNZ and the Dairy Companies Association (DCANZ) have signed an agreement with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to prepare the country for a potential foot and mouth outbreak.
The 2026 Red Dairy Cow conference will be hosted by New Zealand in March.
While global dairy commodity prices continue to climb in most key exporting countries, the second half of the year is expected to bring increased downside risks.
In a surprise move, Federated Farmers meat and wool group has dumped its chair Toby Williams.
Former MP and Southland farmer Eric Roy has received the Outstanding Contribution to New Zealand’s Primary Industries Award.
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