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Simon Limmer.
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.”
Silver Fern Farms chief executive Dan Boulton says the meat processor wants to find ways of getting product destined for Middle East markets into those markets as opposed to try and place them elsewhere.
Additional tariffs introduced by the Chinese Government last month on beef imports should favour New Zealand farmers and exporters.
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.
Keep up with innovation and e-commerce in China or risk losing market share. That was the message delivered at the China Business Summit in Auckland this month.
New Zealand must continue to educate Chinese consumers about the unique qualities of its red meat products and how they differ from competitors, says Silver Fern Farms chief executive Dan Boulton.
A New Zealand red meat product range with “tongue-soft” texture for elderly or unwell people has won the 2026 Meat Industry Association (MIA) Dragon’s Den competition.
The New Zealand Future Food and Fibre Summit, E Tipu 2026, is the place for farmers who want to stay ahead in a rapidly changing sector, says FoodHQ chief executive Dr Victoria Hatton.
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