Silver Fern Farms Airfreights 90 Tonnes of Chilled Meat to UAE Amid Freight Disruptions
Silver Fern Farms has successfully produced and delivered 90 tonnes of premium chilled New Zealand lamb and beef to the United Arab Emirates via airfreight.
Meat processor, Silver Fern Farms is on track to end all coal use by 2030.
With financial assistance the Government Investment in Decarbonising Industry (GIDI) Fund, the company is embarking on its third “coal-out” project.
GIDI is providing $1milion towards the $2.6m project at SFF’s Pareora processing site, south of Timaru.
The Pareora heat-pump conversion project is the company’s third successful project under the GIDI fund and represents another important step in SFF’s commitment to playing a leadership role in driving sustainability in the red meat sector.
SFF chief executive, Simon Limmer, says it was committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions across the company’s value chain.
“The work we are doing to reduce the environmental impact of our processing operations is just one of the ways we’re making sure we do the right thing by our customers, who increasingly want to know that their red meat is sustainably produced.
“Support from the GIDI fund means we can make significant capital investments in low carbon energy with certainty and is a great example of how the private sector can collaborate with the Government for climate-positive outcomes,” says Limmer.
Silver Fern Farms has committed to a 1.5 degree science aligned target to reduce combined Scope 1 and 2 processing emissions by 42% by 2030 (from a 2020 base year) and will lead the red meat sector by joining the International Science based Targets initiative (SBTi) by the end of 2021.
“Reflecting our market leading initiatives in launching a net carbon zero beef product into the US later this year and wider on-farm sustainability work, our aim is to strongly position Silver Fern Farms as a leading climate-positive food brand,” says Limmer.
In August, Silver Fern Farms achieved Toitū enviromark diamond certification, the highest New Zealand-based environmental certification.
More than 1200 exhibitors will showcase their products and services at next month’s National Fieldays, with sites nearly sold out.
Despite difficult trading conditions for European machinery manufacturers brought about conflicts in Ukraine and Iran, alongside the United States imposing punitive tariffs, Italian manufacturer Maschio Gaspardo, has seen turnover increase 12% in 2025 to €390 million (NZ$775m) with a net profit of €11.2 million (NZ$22.3).
New Zealand innovation company Techion, best known for its animal diagnostics platform, FECPAK has signed an exclusive strategic partnership with Farmlands to bring independent animal health disease intelligence to its customers.
Zespri says it welcomes the recently signed Western Bay of Plenty Regional Deal, describing it as an important step towards supporting growth in the region and for New Zealand's kiwifruit industry.
Troubled milk processor Synlait has lost its third chief executive in five years.
Westgold butter has been named New Zealand's tastiest in a blind tasting conducted by Consumer New Zealand.

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