McIvor moving to OSPRI
Beef + Lamb New Zealand chief executive for the past eight years, Sam McIvor is heading for new pastures at Ospri, which runs NZ’s integrated animal disease management and traceability service.
However, Parsons says the agreement must be backed by a large majority of the processors and be beneficial to farmers.
He confirmed support for a June discussion document that proposes a 12-year moratorium on new beef and sheep processing chains, including expansion of existing plants.
BLNZ has not taken a position on the proposal; Parsons is leaving the decision to directors and management of meat companies.
He says the proposal is not a silver bullet for meat industry woes but has the potential to “de-risk” issues of over-capacity. “A meat company which rationalises capacity at a plant won’t face the prospect of another company setting up a new plant down the road,” he says.
On the other hand, Parsons says some farmers would not see the over-capacity as an issue, given droughts over the last few years. “The last thing farmers would want is to have stock waiting to be killed.”
