Category Archives: In The Office

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Second Red Meat Sector Conference

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Closing speaker for conference: clinical psychologist Nigel Latta.

High quality speakers and ample opportunities to network are on offer to delegates from the meat industry, farming and their service sectors at this year’s Red Meat Sector Conference.

We’ve been given a sneak preview of the content of the meat industry’s second annual conference, which will take place at the Rydges Lakeland Resort in Queenstown. The event is co-hosted once again by the Meat Industry Association (MIA) and Beef + Lamb New Zealand Ltd (B+LNZ).

Keynote speakers include clinical psychologist, author and self-confessed ‘wearer of socks’ Nigel Latta and Swazi Apparel’s Davey Hughes. They are joined by a dozen or so other presenters to focus once more on the core themes identified in the Red Meat Sector Strategy launched in May 2011.

After scene-setting presentations from Colin James of the Hugo Group and Richard Brown of European market research group GIRA, three sessions will cover the themes of the Sector Strategy.

In session one: meeting the needs of consumers will be the focus of Arron Hoyle of McDonald’s and Murray Johnston of Progressive Enterprises, while John Carroll of AVANZA avocado growers will look at managing market supply.

Australian and US perspectives regarding procurement will be explored in the second session, while best practices will be explored by B+LNZ Economic Service’s Rob Davison, Mark Paine of Dairy NZ and farming leader Doug Avery.

The conference will close with a session on behavioural change from Nigel Latta.

Two major social events are planned during the conference; a Welcome Cocktail Function, supported by Hamburg Sud, to be held on the evening of Sunday 15 July; and a Gala Dinner, sponsored by Maersk Line, to be held on the evening of Monday 16 July at which Davey Hughes of Swazi Apparel will speak.

For the first time, ANZ bank has taken the premier sponsorship role.

Don’t miss out: register online and find more information at www.mia.co.nz.

RED MEAT SECTOR CONFERENCE: THANKS TO SPONSORS

Premier: ANZ

Gala Dinner: Maersk Line

Welcome Cocktail Function: Hamburg Sud NZ Ltd.

Pre-networking drinks: Milmeq

Morning and afternoon teas: Triton Commercial Systems

Gold: AgResearch, Bell Gully, Ecolab, Milmeq and System Controls Ltd.

Silver: Industrial Research Ltd, NAIT Ltd, Port of Tauranga, SATO NZ Ltd and Sealed Air NZ.

Delegate bags: Bemis Flexible Packaging Australasia Ltd.

Other: Marfret Compagnie Maritime.

Published in Food NZ magazine (June/July 2012).

 

Win-win at last for AFFCO and workers, says Barber

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It was a hell of a long time coming, but the return to work for AFFCO’s workforce, or at least the half who were on strike or locked out has finally arrived, comments Allan Barber, in an article which appeared in NZ Farmers Weekly  this week.

Ninety-five percent of the union members ratified the settlement by Monday last week which is a substantial majority, although it makes me wonder why the other five percent still wanted to hold out. Both sides are heralding a good outcome, which I suppose is what you would say after a three month dispute has been settled.  Read more …

Export meat price fall confirmed, but temporary

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A fall in merchandise export prices for meat products has been confirmed by Statistics New Zealand in its latest figures comparing the March 2012 quarter against December 2011. However, this is expected by some to be temporary and export prices should improve later this year.

Overall, merchandise export prices fell by 3.8 percent in the same quarter, reflecting a 5.5 percent appreciation of the New Zealand dollar (according to the Reserve Bank’s trade weighted average). Amongst the falls for major commodity groups, prices for meat products (especially lamb), which accounted for 12 percent of exports, were down by 3.6 percent in the quarter, while other price falls were recorded for dairy (-5.6 percent) and forestry (-4.2 percent) products.

New Zealand’s merchandise terms of trade (the ratio of export prices to import prices) fell by 2.3 percent in the March 2012 quarter when compared with December 2011 – the third consecutive quarterly decrease since the terms of trade peaked in the June 2011 quarter, Statistics NZ says.

Looking at the wider market implications, Westpac’s senior economist Anne Boniface says the  data broadly confirms Westpac’s understanding of the NZ economy and on its own won’t change the outlook for the Reserve Bank. “Nonetheless, export prospects are certainly dimming this year. But while acknowledging the near–term weakness in commodity prices and its impact on the NZ economy, we must keep the recent moves in perspective – the terms of trade remains 10 percent above its average levels of the last decade,” she says, adding that current weakness is expected to be cyclical rather than structural. “By the final quarter of this year, stimulatory policies by authorities in China should be starting to gain traction, boosting growth and demand for commodities. Consequently, we expect to see commodity prices stabilise and start to improve.”

Boniface remains firmly optimistic about prospects for New Zealand export prices over a longer horizon, she says.

KPMG’s Agribusiness Agenda points the way forward

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The KPMG Agribusiness Agenda 2012, released this week, contains interesting observations which have been gathered from conversations with nearly 100 business leaders, says Allan Barber, who recently reviewed the report.

But like most strategy documents I have ever read, the conclusions never quite seem to live up to the anticipation. However, this is a solid document with good ideas. Read more …

 

AFFCO’s union dispute finally settled

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Allan Barber credits iwi for the final settlement of AFFCO’s union dispute.

 It’s been a long 10 weeks, he wrote in an article which appeared on interest.co.nz on 24 May and also in NZ Farmers Weekly, both for the company and especially the workforce. At last both sides have exercised some flexibility and reached agreement on a new Core Collective Agreement.

It has taken some urging by Iwi leaders to get there in what is the first time Iwi have taken such a leading role in dispute settlement. Tukoroirangi Morgan, representing Tainui, was clearly elated at the successful outcome, saying “History has been made here and role of Iwi in the modern industrial society has been forever changed.” He paid credit to all the main players in what he said was as tough a negotiating process as the Treaty negotiations, Allan writes.

Read more here …

 

Carter to Russia and US

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David Carter, NZ Primary Industries MinisterPrimary Industries Minister David Carter is representing New Zealand at the APEC Food Security Ministerial meeting in Russia next week and will also travel to the US for a round of high level agriculture meetings.

The APEC meeting in Kazan will focus on a range of issues concerning agricultural productivity, including longer-term investment in sustainable agriculture and the role of international trade in improving food security.

“As a leading food exporter with world-class expertise in agricultural production, New Zealand knows only too well the importance of global food security,” Carter says.

“To this end, New Zealand has taken an active role in promoting multi-country cooperation such as through the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases. We also continue to promote a rules-based trading system to ensure consumers have access to a reliable food supply.”

The Minister will travel to Washington DC to meet with a number of political agriculture leaders and industry representatives.

“These meetings will further strengthen the New Zealand-US bilateral relationship and give our two countries the opportunity to discuss issues such as the positive collaboration on research into livestock-generated greenhouse gas emissions,” he says.

“I also look forward to discussing with my US counterpart and others the mutual benefits that will be realised through the high quality Trans-Pacific Partnership Free Trade Agreement currently under negotiation.”

The Minister will also make a stop in Hong Kong to address an event showcasing New Zealand food and wines.

Innovative waste reduction project? Apply here

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Meat companies developing initiatives that increase the reuse, recycling or recovery of waste material are among the organisations being invited to apply to the Waste Minimisation Fund.

“This is a chance for organisations with an innovative project to apply for support from the government to give their project a head start,” Environment Minister Amy Adams says.

Since the first funding round opened in 2009, the fund has awarded about $20 million to more than 60 projects.

To receive funding, projects need to increase resource efficiency or reduce the amount of waste sent to New Zealand’s landfills. The current round is open until 19 June.

Money for the WMF comes from the waste levy charged on material disposed of at New Zealand landfills.

For more information about applying for the fund, click here.

All change from 1 July

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David Smol, acting MBIE head.

It’s all change from 1 July, when a new Super Ministry will govern the country’s business matters.

The New Zealand government has announced that a new Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment will kick in on 1 July 2012. This will draw together the existing functions of four current government departments: the Ministry of Science and Innovation: the Minister of Economic Development: Department of Labour; and Department of Building and Housing.

The new Ministry will assist the Government to drive forward its business growth agenda and make it easier for businesses to engage with the government, Economic Development minister Steven Joyce says.

An acting chief executive has already been appointed. David Smol, currently the chief executive of the Ministry of Economic Development, will take up the role to ensure smooth transition to the new agency. The appointment of a new chief executive by the State Services Commissioner is expected by the end of September.

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In another move, agriculture, biosecurity, food safety, forestry, and fishing have already been rolled into one department and the former Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has been renamed the new Ministry of Primary Industries. The change took effect from 30 April and was described by Primary Industries Minister David Carter as “a logical move”.

It recognises the broad role of the Ministry in growing and protecting the primary sector, the power house of New Zealand’s economy. “Importantly, it provides the different parts of the organisation with a single, unifying identity,” he said.

Existing brands for MAF, BioSecurity New Zealand, the Ministry of Fisheries and New Zealand Food Safety Authority will be phased out. The Crown Forestry brand will be retained because it is a commercial forestry business that stands apart from the policy, regulatory and service delivery roles of the Ministry.

 

Differences are more apparent than real

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Differences more apparent than real

Reported differences of opinion in meat industry leaders are more apparent than real, writes industry commentator, Allan Barber, in his latest blog. In spite of recent disagreements, most notably between Keith Cooper of Silver Fern Farms and Beef and Lamb NZ, there doesn’t appear to be too much wrong with relationships between meat companies and the industry good organisation representing sheep and beef farmers, he says. Read more …