Farmer international collaboration urged

UK and European farming leaders understand the important role Kiwi lamb plays in 12 month’s supply, says Beef + Lamb New Zealand Chairman, James Parsons.

Collabortion between New Zealand sheep and beef farmers and those in the UK and Europe may improve returns for farmers on both sides of the world, he believes.

New Zealand has a role to play in having lamb on Northern Hemisphere supermarket shelves 12 months of the year.

James says his recent meetings with European sheep and beef farming leaders have confirmed that the opportunities to cooperate are bigger than the areas for competition.

“A lot of good work has been put in over the years to build strong relationships with farmer groups in the UK and Europe and there is now a good understanding of the value of having lamb on supermarket shelves 12 months of the year, and the role New Zealand lamb plays in that.

“Any issues with New Zealand lamb being sold in the European peak season are better understood these days and it’s acknowledged that it’s far better to cooperate on this for our collective interests.”

Europe is virtually self-sufficient in the supply of lamb, importing around 20 per cent of its needs, of which 18 per cent comes from New Zealand.

“We ship a lot more meat to China and currently can only supply 70 per cent of our quota.”

James has recently returned from Europe where he completed the annual round of meetings with farmer organisations in the United Kingdom and Europe – his first as chairman of Beef + Lamb New Zealand.

In the UK James was part of a panel discussion that included Meurig Raymond, President of the UK National Farmers Union, and Mike Petersen New Zealand’s Special Agricultural Trade Envoy, where he pressed home the importance of farmers focussing on what can be managed and achieved on-farm.

“Too much focus is given to price per head rather than profit per hectare, or production per hectare.”

James is also clear about New Zealand’s ambitions for an economic partnership with the European Union, given the $77 million in tariffs paid on New Zealand red meat each year.

“New Zealand has been and continues to be a good partner to Europe, but is now one of six WTO members that the European Union has not committed to developing an economic partnership with, so we’d like to see progress there, especially as the WTO has 160 members.”

There’s currently a good level of confidence among sheep and beef farmers with top performers achieving good returns and James believes farmers in New Zealand should be focusing on returns per kilogramme of meat and wool.

“When we break it down to that level, the top performers have a lot lower costs.”


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