NZ Beef Mince Now Over $24/kg as Export Demand Stays Strong
New Zealand consumers are paying more for beef mince than ever before, with the average retail price now sitting above $24 per kilogram, according to Rabobank.
Silver Fern Farms chief executive Dan Boulton says his recent visit to China has left him feeling optimistic about the situation there for the meat industry.
He says the recovery in the Chinese market will not happen overnight but says he senses it's moving in the right direction, although he adds that one should not expect to see the same high prices for product of a few years ago.
Boulton says the market is going to be far stronger in the protein space - particularly for the high-quality products that NZ sells.
"The Chinese middle class is forecast to grow from 400 million to 800 million people, and they are really conscious about where their food is grown, and they care about sustainability. They have got a strong green agenda and that plays into our offering from SFF, so there is still a very affluent growing middle class segment that we will be targeting," he told Rural News.
According to Boulton, the mood of the Chinese consumers is quite buoyant - something that hasn't been seen for a few years. He says looking forwards, pricing in that market is starting to lift with investment growth in retail stores.
Boulton says they have got some deep relationships with their customers and partners who want to grow SFF brands.
He says the situation is being helped by the stimulus packages being provided by the Chinese government to kickstart their economy.
Boulton's comments come after spending a week attending the Chinese International Import Expo (CIIE) at which NZ launched its $8 million three-year publicity campaign to get Chinese consumers to buy our high-quality meat products.
LIC shareholders have elected a new North Island representative to the co-operative's Board, along with five representatives to its Shareholder Reference Group (SRG), following the company's Annual Meeting held in Invercargill.
Farmers across parts of Southland and South Otago are continuing to deal with difficult conditions after a prolonged run of wet weather, with pressure building around feed supply, stock management, pasture damage, farm infrastructure and everyday workloads.
Federated Farmers says it welcomes Labour's commitment to reviewing the Sharemilking Agreements Act, calling on other major parties to do the same.
For Canterbury dairy farmers Sian Meijer and Rick Wobben, wearable technology has become one of their most valuable on-farm tools - helping manage 1850 cows across an expansive, high-performing dairy operation while improving efficiency, mating outcomes and day-to-day decision making.
Fonterra has unveiled its annual results for the 2026 financial year, posting $27 billion in revenue and close to $20 billion returned to New Zealand farmer owners and unit holders.
The first major update to the Dairy Cattle Code of Welfare in more than a decade has been released, marking what DairyNZ describes as an important step in ensuring animal welfare standards continue to evolve alongside scientific evidence and on-farm realities.

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