Move over ham, here comes lamb
It’s official, lamb will take centre stage on Kiwi Christmas tables this year.
A new programme that will look at how more value can be generated from beef carcases has been approved for Government funding.
Ministry for Primary Industries Director-General Wayne McNee has announced approved co-funding from the Primary Growth Partnership (PGP) for the new Foodplus programme.
The PGP Fund is committing $43.5 million over seven years for the programme, which is worth $87 million in total and is being run by ANZCO Foods.
Foodplus will identify opportunities to create new products, with a particular focus on parts of the beef carcase that currently generate less value. ANZCO has identified three markets for innovative new products: food, ingredients and healthcare.
"Adding further value to the carcase is essential for the future success of the meat industry," McNee says. "ANZCO's vision for Foodplus is relevant and bold, and now backed by a significant investment."
Rennie Davidson, CEO of ANZCO's Food & Solutions division says ANZCO welcomed the opportunity to partner with the Crown on the Foodplus programme. "It is a large-scale project that wouldn't be achievable without collaboration. We're excited about the potential that this will bring to the sector," he says.
Farmer confidence has taken a slight dip according to the final Rabobank rural confidence survey for the year.
Former Agriculture Minister and Otaki farmer Nathan Guy has been appointed New Zealand’s Special Agricultural Trade Envoy (SATE).
Alliance Group has commissioned a new heat pump system at its Mataura processing plant in Southland.
Fonterra has slashed another 50c off its milk price forecast as global milk flows shows no sign of easing.
Meat processors are hopeful that the additional 15% tariff on lamb exports to the US will also come off.
Fears of a serious early drought in Hawke’s Bay have been allayed – for the moment at least.

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