Keith Cooper obviously did a good job selling the positives on lamb marketing to delegates at the NZ Federated farmers conference in Invercargill. Alan Stuart shares these in an article in the Wairarapa Times.
But why when lamb is selling for record prices overseas, are sheep farmers profits poor and are changing to alternative land uses?
Industry structures and purchasing systems in this sector also get discussed, and maybe they need looked at.
It was positive to read that the farmers market share of the retail price, had improved dramatically over the last few years.
The lack of transparency and trust with its suppliers, is still an issue in this industry, and maybe the idea promoted recently to market our meat via a trading platform ("globalmeatrade") could be worth trying.
Share your ideas on how the sheep industry can stop the exodus.
People questioning the future of NZ's premier grass-based lamb industry should think again, according to Wairarapa Federated Farmers meat and fibre chairman Alan Stuart.The Mauriceville farmer, who has just returned from a Fed Farmers annual meeting in Invercargill, said that at 2 times the in-market value of competing red and white meats, lamb enjoyed a ''privileged position'' in the retail and hospitality trade.
Present prices showed there was a shortage and the return back to farmers had intensified from 24 per cent of the retail price two year ago to about 45 per cent. At the Invercargill meeting calls for industry consolidation were made, with a ''concerted voice to give loyal support to any one exporting company''.
''This has come about because over-capacity makes it easy to shop around for the best price, which produces uncertainty for an exporter wanting to keep the chain full and to fulfil market orders,'' Mr Stuart said.
Pelt prices were a concern, sitting at $3 when they were $13 20 years ago.
This was mainly due to an international downturn and lobbying by anti-leather groups in some upmarket areas.
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