Andrew West new vice-chancellor for Lincoln

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Dr Andrew West, former head of AgResearch and current adjunct professor or agribusiness at the University of Waikato, has been appointed as the new vice-chancellor of Lincoln University and took up his new position on 16 April.

Dr West’s career has spanned eduction, science and innovation, agriculture, process manufacturing and tourism. Educated in the UK, Dr West graduated with a BSc in Ecology from the University of Westminister and a PhD from the Council for National Academic Awards prior to emigrating to New Zealand.

He has been particularly influential in his roles as leader of the Institute of Geological & Nuclear Sciences (GNS) and latterly AgResearch Ltd. Throughout his career, Dr West has been involved in a large number of directorships, predominantly with the primary industry sector, but also with a strong emphasis on innovation and commercialisation.

Dr West’s achievements have been recognised by his peers and others as noted by the awarding of the Thomson Medal for outstanding contributions to the development of science and technology from the Royal Society of New Zealand (2008); an Honorary Fellowship of Waikato Institute of Technology (2009); and most recently a Companionship of the Royal Society of New Zealand (2010).

On his appointment, West says it is a privilege “to be asked to lead such a venerated institution, one with a genuinely global and well-earned reputation”. He is looking forward to working with the land-based of New Zealand and those of other countries.

 

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.

 

New Zealand’s ‘Steak of the Decade’

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New Zealand beef producers are lining up in the hunt for New Zealand’s top beef producer of the decade. Ten finalists were announced today in the competition that is being run to celebrate a decade of the Steak of Origin Challenge which aims to find the nation’s most tender and tasty sirloin steak.

The results of over 3,000 entries from the last nine years of competition have been analysed and will be combined with the results from this year. Beef + Lamb New Zealand Ltd’s chief executive, Dr Scott Champion says 10 years of the Steak of Origin Challenge is a significant milestone for the competition.

“This competition is keenly contested by farmers who are focused on producing the best steak and it goes from strength to strength each year,” he said. The Steak of Origin Producer of the Decade will be decided by the results of this year’s Steak of Origin challenge with semi-finalists also announced today. Ten judges from the past nine years of competition have been invited back to help determine the winner. The judging line-up includes Allyson Gofton, Sir Colin Meads, Sarah Ulmer and Associate Minister of Agriculture, Hon. Nathan Guy. An award for the Brand of the Decade will also be presented to a steak brand which has consistently delivered a quality product. The Steak of Origin semi-final will be held at Gorilla Restaurant in Christchurch on Friday 4 May followed by the Grand Final held during the Beef + Lamb New Zealand Beef Expo in Feilding on Monday 14 May, where all the winners will be announced.

Battle of the butchers begins

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Abigail Smith

Young New Zealand butchers across the country have begun sharpening their knives in anticipation of the 2012 Alto Young Butcher and Retail Meat Industry Training Organisation (RMITO) Butcher Apprentice of the year competition.

Current RMITO Butcher Apprentice of the Year, Abigail Smith, has her sights set on the Young Butcher title after her success in the apprentice category last year.

“Last year’s win set the standard for me and only makes me eager to push myself to the limit this year and take home the big title,” says Abigail.

Entries are now open to the competition, which kicks off with a series of regional heats across New Zealand over the month of July.

The winners of each regional will go on to compete in the Grand Final, to be held on 24 August at the Viaduct Event Centre in Auckland.

During the Grand Final, the young butchers will be put through a practical exam, interview, cutting test and mystery on-stage element to determine who will walk away with the prestigious title and the prize of a study tour to Europe.

The RMITO Butcher Apprentice of the Year will win a study tour to Australia.

The competition is proudly supported by Alto, RMITO, Beef + Lamb New Zealand Inc., Dunninghams, Hellers, Kerry Ingredients, NZ Pork, Wilson Hellaby, Cabernet Foods, Natural Farm and Tegel Foods.

 

Praise for industry’s animal welfare approach

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Primary Industries Minister David Carter has praised the Primary Industry Chief Executive’s Animal Welfare Forum for its contribution to animal welfare.

Carter attended the biannual meeting of the Forum recently and endorsed the group’s 2012 plan.

“New Zealand’s major livestock production industries are taking a responsible approach to animal welfare standards through encouraging voluntary compliance and proactive initiatives,” he said.

One of the Forum’s key 2012 projects involves working with farmers, meat processors, transport operators, private veterinarians and MAF to ensure that all transported animals are fit for transport. The group is also focusing on the on-farm welfare and transportation of bobby calves for slaughter.

David Carter, Minister for Primary Industries

Mandatory livestock tracing one step closer

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A Bill to deliver electronic national identification and tracing of livestock passed its third and final reading in Parliament In February.

Primary Industries Minister David Carter says the National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) Bill is a significant step in protecting farmers in the international marketplace and strengthening New Zealand’s biosecurity system.

The NAIT bill sets out the legal framework for the collection of information on livestock, their location and movement history throughout their lifetime. It also outlines the governance arrangement and powers for the NAIT organisation.

“NAIT needs to be mandatory to be effective,” the Minister says. It will begin with cattle on 1 July this year and deer by 1 March 2013.

“With most other agricultural producing nations already having computerised tracing of individual animals, New Zealand simply cannot afford to lag behind,” he said, adding that NAIT is essentially an insurance policy to support New Zealand’s high livestock health status and biosecurity infrastructure, but can also be used to further improve productivity and on-farm management.

The meat industry supports the introduction of NAIT as it will give greater assurance to customers of the wholesomeness of New Zealand meat products.

Great pastoral conditions along with continuing good prices

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Photo: Courtesy B+LNZ

Beef + Lamb NZ’s mid-season update for the sheep and beef sector reports that export receipts estimated at $6.6 billion hold at last year’s level. Last year, export receipts for the sector were up 15 percent.

Expectations are for a small lift in export volumes and continued good prices relative to recent years. This will be moderated by the strength of the New Zealand dollar, particularly against the Euro and British pound.

The report contained few surprises for B+LNZ Economic Service director Rob Davison, who says it’s rare for such good pastoral conditions and international prices  to align. Lamb prices are expected to average at $115 a head, slightly down on 2010-2011’s high. Offshore prices are expected to remain at good levels, though the stronger NZ dollar against the pound softens the price received here. The recent strengthening of the NZ dollar against its US counterpart is also a concern, Davison says.

Global mutton supplies remain tight, while beef exports are expected to lift in the 2011-2012 season which ends in June.

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 …

AFFCO and Meat Workers Union both holding firm

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AFFCO and Meat Workers Union both holding firm

Getting on for two months into the lock out interspersed with strikes, both sides in this struggle are holding firm, says meat industry commentator Allan Barber. There was a brief moment of hope of some degree of resolution at last week’s mediation, but it appears that after some progress in the morning, it all went downhill in the afternoon with some suggestion the union representatives weren’t all in agreement about what they were after. Read more…

New Zealand venison: the ‘rockstar’ of meat

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Brad Farmerie, chef owner of New York restaurant ‘Public’.

New Yorkers got the clear message last October that New Zealand venison is the healthy red meat.

A story aired at prime-time on the ABC channel WABC featuring New York chef Brad Farmerie and a well known nutrition advisor Heidi Skolnik talking about the quality, versatility and healthy attributes of Cervena venison, from New Zealand.

According to Farmerie, “Grilled, pan seared or smoked, venison is the new “it” food,” and he should know. At his Soho restaurant Public, he prepares and serves about 10 thousand portions of it each year.

“I know for a fact, this is going to be a rockstar meat going forward, next year, the year after and everywhere from then on,” he says.

Even health food experts agree. Heidi Skolnik, a nutritionist for the New York Knicks, calls it a nutrient powerhouse, pointing out the cut is packed full of iron, zinc and vitamin B12.

“There are less calories, less fat and more nutrients than in a chicken breast and we think of chicken as healthy, which it is but this is like all of the benefits of a red meat with a fifth of the fat of beef,” Skolnik explains.

The three minute story also showed chef Farmerie, who holds a coveted Michelin star for his restaurant Public – NYC, preparing some of the dishes using Cervena venison that he serves in his restaurant.

WABC is a top rating news channel covering the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut – the three states have a combined population of over 18 million.

New Zealand exports around $20 million worth of venison to the USA each year.  Cervena venison is a quality scheme shared by most venison exporting companies that guarantees the venison is farm-raised, tender and delicious.  Deer Industry New Zealand works with venison marketing companies to increase demand for New Zealand venison.

The coverage resulted from work done by Deer Industry New Zealand.  DINZ hosted a function at Public on 12 October, inviting food editors, nutritionists and chefs to an evening to sample New Zealand venison dishes created by Farmerie and to sample New Zealand wines.  About 60 attended, representing food and lifestyle media including Oprah, Dr Oz, The Food Network channel and Food Arts.

The food editor of WABC, Kemberly Richardson took little persuading to produce a story about New Zealand venison, and following filming sessions with Farmerie and an interview with Skolnik, the results screened on October 19.

See the clip below: