Silver Fern Farms roadshow highlights global demand
The second event in the Silver Fern Farms ‘Pasture to Plate Roadshow’ landed in Feilding last week, headed by chair and King Country farmer, Anna Nelson, and chief executive Dan Boulton.
Silver Fern Farms chief executive Simon Limmer is not overly concerned about the threat of plant-based meat substitutes.
Limmer's transition from chief operating officer of Zespri to chief executive of Silver Fern Farms has been seamless.
He notes protein consumption is growing worldwide and NZ is not going to be able to supply the world. NZ doesn’t need to be everything to every consumer, he says.
“The other point is that our market position is quite different: we are looking for that quality high end and naturally produced red meat for the consumer,” he told Rural News. “We are very much in different markets in what we are offering.”
Limmer believes there is scope for massive growth in red meat sales to eastern markets, especially China. The trend in Chinese meat consumption per capita favours NZ. “But ultimately we have to focus on the market and adapt to what consumers are after. If we can match our good product with the right consumers then we can be very successful.”
Farmer interest continues to grow as a Massey University research project to determine the benefits or otherwise of the self-shedding Wiltshire sheep is underway. The project is five years in and has two more years to go. It was done mainly in the light of low wool prices and the cost of shearing. Peter Burke recently went along to the annual field day held Massey's Riverside farm in the Wairarapa.
Applications are now open for the 2026 NZI Rural Women Business Awards, set to be held at Parliament on 23 July.
Ravensdown has announced a collaboration with Kiwi icon, Footrot Flats in an effort to bring humour, heart, and connection to the forefront of the farming sector.
Forest & Bird's Kiwi Conservation Club is inviting New Zealanders of all ages to embrace the outdoors with its Summer Adventure Challenges.
Grace Su, a recent optometry graduate from the University of Auckland, is moving to Tauranga to start work in a practice where she worked while participating in the university's Rural Health Interprofessional Programme (RHIP).
Two farmers and two farming companies were recently convicted and fined a total of $108,000 for environmental offending.

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