Category Archives: The People

Profiles, people news, training and recruitment.

Congratulations Iron Maidens

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London’s 2012 Olympic Games is over and three of Beef + Lamb NZ Inc’s Iron Maidens are heading home from the 30th Olympiade laden with their medals. Congratulations to BMX cyclist Sarah Walker for her silver medal earned late last week. This added to the bronze medals earned by Rebecca Scown and Juliette Haigh for their earlier success in the women’s pairs (rowing). All of the athletes did a fabulous job and did the country – not forgetting the New Zealand beef and lamb industry – proud.

In the news this week (3)

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People are key to the success of Riddet Institute’s Agri-Food Strategy wrote Jon Morgan in a Dominion Post opinion piece early on last week. “The prize is too great to abandon,” he said.

So, focus is now shifting to the week-long chief executives’ Primary Sector Boot Camp at Stanford University in California later this month, which will be attended by over 20 chief executives including meat industry leaders Keith Cooper of Silver Fern Farms and Mark Clarkson of ANZCO Foods, alongside Minister of Primary Industries David Carter. On the table for discussion will be the Agri-Food Strategy.

Agmardt is principal sponsor of the private sector-led chief executive forum designed to unlock the global potential of New Zealand’s primary sector. At the time of the sponsorship announcement at the end of April, Jeff Grant chairman of the Agmardt board of trustees said he regarded the boot camp as an ideal fit under the grant body’s new strategic priorities.

“A key outcome of the boot camp is to explore and drive in-market collaboration within New Zealand’s primary sector, which is strongly aligned with Agmardt’s new strategy to fund activities that enable New Zealand agribusiness to identify and explore potential opportunities within the global marketplace.”

Grant said the willingness by senior industry leaders to be involved in the camp to discuss and explore strategies for greater collaboration and alignment across a wide range of primary industries, “is extremely encouraging.”

Other supporters of the Primary Sector Boot Camp, which will comprise leaders from the dairy, beef, sheep, seafood, viticulture and horticulture sectors, include the Ministry of Science and Innovation, the Ministry for Primary Industries and NZ Trade and Enterprise.

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Other news appearing over the week included:

Protein sources of the future –A new New Zealand/Dutch study has outlined the coming challenges to meeting future demand for protein. In a review published this week in the journal Trends in Food Science and Technology, Dr Mike Boland from the Riddet Institute and his colleagues at the Wageningen University in the Netherlands have drawn on a range of research sources to peer into the future of the world’s food supply. They say, as demand is outstripping supply of meat, mankind will “need to get creative” with its protein sources, considering competition between humans and pet food industries, noting that rabbits and other novel animal species, “should not be discounted as having an important part to play in future animal protein production systems,” and speculate that there may be ways to derive dietary protein from food waste from biofuel crop leftovers. Whatever happens, consumer acceptance will be key, say the authors.

New NZTE chairman – Interesting to note that former Fonterra chief executive, Andrew Ferrier, has been named as the new chairman of the New Zealand Trade & Enterprise (NZTE) board. Replacing Jon Mayson, he will commence his three year term on 1 November. Announcing the appointment, Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce says that Ferrier will bring “strong governance and strategic capability to the NZTE board”. Ferrier is a director of Orion Health Ltd and CANZ Capital Ltd. He was appointed to the University of Auckland Council in March 2012. Prior to his work with Fonterra, he was involved with the global sugar industry. Born in Canada, he has been a New Zealand citizen since 2008.

A new Code of Welfare for Meat Chickens came into effect on 26 July, setting out the minimum standards and best practice guidelines for the poultry industry. The new Code replaces the Code of Welfare for Broiler Chickens that was released in 2003. The new Code has a broader scope and includes chickens that have access to the outdoors, says the National Animal Welfare Advisory Council (NAWAC). “Another key change is that farmers will have to take the environment of the chicken into account when deciding how many chickens to keep in a designated area,” NAWAC chair John Hellström says. “Farmers will also be required to stay within the minimum standards for stocking density, but they will now have to also consider things like litter quality, lighting, air quality and temperature when deciding how to house their chickens.” Find out more here.

NZUS Council sponsors MPs visit to Washington – Two MPs Peseta Sam Lotu-Liga and Hon Shane Jones, co-chairs of the New Zealand US Parliamentary Friendship Group, recently returned from a successful NZUS Council sponsored visit to Washington DC. The visit – particularly timely given the stage of the Trans Pacific Partnership negotiations – raised NZ’s profile and also gave the MPS the chance to gain valuable insights about US negotiating interests. In a full programme over a four-day visit, the MPs met with members of the Friends of NZ Congressional Caucus and a range of Congressional representatives and had meetings with senior officials in the State Department, Treasury and US Trade Representative’s office. They were also guests of honour at a well-attended lunch hosted by the US NZ Council. Other guests included Congressional staff, senior US company executives and Council members and supporters. The NZ US Council met the costs of the MPs domestic travel in the US and related on-the-ground costs. Arrangements in Washington were made by the New Zealand Embassy.

World price slump put lamb back on Kiwi menus – the NZ Herald reported over the weekend on the news that prices for Kiwi consumers are down too and they are responding enthusiastically. Read more… 

Finally, with the London Olympics in full swing this week, it seems only right to congratulate all of the Kiwi athletes, but particularly B+LNZ Inc’s bronze medal award-winning Iron Maidens Rebecca Scown and Juliette Haigh for their  success in the women’s pairs (rowing) and Alison Shanks (cyclist) for her tremendous efforts in the team event. All the best now to Sarah Walker (BMX) for her event yet to come on the world sports stage. Go Team NZ!!


 

 

 

 

 

Tribute to a pioneer

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Friends and colleagues paid their respects at the conference welcome cocktail party to one of the industry’s inspirational leaders Graeme Lowe CNZM QSM, 77, who had passed away earlier that day in Havelock North after a long illness.

Marking the sad news just as Graeme would have wanted it, “with the minimum of fuss and to get back to business”, MIA chairman Bill Falconer asked delegates to raise their glasses to the legendary meat industry leader and his family.

B+LNZ chairman Mike Petersen spoke of him as “one of our pioneers”, a sentiment echoed by the Minister for Primary Industries David Carter who also paid tribute to the “hugely respected” businessman.

“Graeme led Lowe Corporation from its inception in 1964 to become a major animal by-product processor and exporter,” the Minister said.

“As an entrepreneur, Graeme was not afraid of taking risks and his innovative ideas brought a new level of business thinking and technology to the modern meat industry.”

Meat Acts, the history of the meat industry from 1972 to 1997 written by Janet Tyson and Mick Calder, talks of Graeme’s “formidable lobbying skills”, the fact that he was an innovator, a “persistent agitator for deregulation of the industry” and a “trend setter”.

The founder president and managing director of Lowe Corporation – which now employs about 400 nationwide at the peak of the season and has three tanneries, two fellmongeries and two rendering plants around the country and a turnover of $300 million – started his professional life in a tannery before joining the Royal Navy. After rising to the rank of sub-lieutenant, the British-born 21 year old returned to the tannery before taking on a new adventure on the high seas as crew on a yacht heading for New Zealand, where his mother and new step-father had recently immigrated.

On his arrival on this side of the world, he worked for Unilever subsidiary Birds Eye Foods, before branching out into his own butcher’s shop in Hastings. From there, over the next forty years and via the acquisition of Dawn Foods, he built the Lowe Corporation to where it is today.

On the way, Graeme introduced a number of technological innovations into the meat industry that have saved millions of dollars and improved efficiency. One of these is the ‘Jarvis electric stun box’ for halal stunning, which he and his engineers developed and patented. Another is ‘hot boning technology’ which enables a carcase to be broken down and into boxes within half an hour, side-stepping chillers and shaving two to three days off the process.

Graeme remained committed to Lowe Corporation to the end of his life, although suffering from Parkinson’s disease which affected his speech and mobility. Graeme’s son, Andy, who is also Lowe Corporation’s general manager will now steer the Hastings-based ship.

Also a generous supporter of Hawke’s Bay charities and organisations, Graeme had recently been inducted into the NZ Business Hall of Fame (see Food NZ, June/July 2012). In making their decision, the judges looked beyond business attributes to how the nominated individual has assisted their communities in various ways. For Lowe Corporation, it was sponsorship of the Hawke’s Bay Helicopter Rescue Trust for over two decades, along with support for many charities, including the Kids at Risk Charitable Trust. The family also devotes a lot of resources to conservation. Graeme joined two other  meat industry laureates already in the Hall: Amy Maria Hellaby, founder of R&W Hellaby; and ‘Mad Butcher’ Sir Peter Leitch KNZM QSM.

Our condolences go out to his widow Jenny, son Andy, daughters Sarah and Kate and their families, including seven grandchildren.

This article appeared in Food NZ magazine (August/September 2012).

Farewell to a pioneer

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The New Zealand meat industry lost one of its true pioneers last weekend. It was announced at the Red Meat Sector Conference that Graeme Lowe CNZM QSM of Lowe Corporation, had passed away after a long illness. Graeme had recently been inducted into the NZ Business Hall of Fame in recognition not only of his business acumen and innovative approach to the New Zealand meat business, but also his support for Hawke’s Bay charities. Our sympathies go to his widow Jenny, son Andy and daughters Sarah and Kate and their families.

Hickson Fed Farmers Agribusiness Person of the Year

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Congratulations to Craig Hickson, managing director of Progressive Meats who last week was named the 2012 Allflex/Federated Farmers Agribusiness Person of the Year.

Five “exceptional nominations” were received by Federated Farmers, according to president Bruce Willis. Hickson was picked out from the five by judges Andrew Newman, Cr Hon Christine Fletcher and Waikato University’s Professor Jacqueline Rowarth.

“Craig is a hands-on farmer but the name of his company pretty much sums up his philosophy,” said Willis at the Auckland gala event where the award was presented to Mike Petersen, chairman of Beef + Lamb NZ Ltd in Hickson’s stead. Hickson himself was away in Australia representing the industry at LambEx 2012 and talking about questions Australian lamb producers should be asking their processors.

“[Hickson] runs a mixed 1,200 hectare sheep,deer and beef farm in Hawke’s Bay and in addition to Progressive Meats, is a member of the Meat Board. Craig is also a director of Ovation New Zealand and a number of other meat companies.”

Hickson has been an Meat Industry Association council member since 2003 and is also a Board director for Beef + Lamb NZ Ltd, Ovita Ltd, Lean Meats Ltd, Te Kuiti Meats Ltd, Progressive Leathers and Venison Packers.

An associated award, the Ravensdown/Federated Farmers Agribusiness Personality for 2012 went to agricultural scientist Dr Doug Edmeades, who was also a finalist for Agribusiness Person of the Year.

 

New Zealand’s ‘liquid gold’

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Water is also on the mind of our politicians. Water – New Zealand’s ‘liquid gold’ – is possibly New Zealand’s biggest opportunity to grow the productive part of our economy, according to the Minister for Primary Industries.

David Carter was speaking to the Federated Farmers’ annual conference last week, when he talked about New Zealand playing to its strengths.

“We can’t go past our abundance of water or New Zealand’s ‘liquid gold’.”

Despite difficult fiscal conditions, he pointed to the Government’s fronting with $35 million for the Irrigation Acceleration Fund to 50:50 fund the feasibility studies of schemes around New Zealand.

“The Government’s also committed $400 million through the Future Investment Fund to invest as a cornerstone shareholder in large water storage and irrigation schemes.

“We are making progress, particularly in Hawke’s Bay, Canterbury and Otago, but achieving consensus of all the various stakeholders means progress is slower than I would like.”

Most important aspect

David Carter, NZ Primary Industries MinisterIn his speech, the primary sector was referred to as “the most important aspect driving our economy forward.

“The healthy performance across most of the primary sectors has enabled our economy to weather the storms of the global financial crisis and, locally, the Canterbury earthquakes,” he said, pointing to the fact that the primary sector now makes up 71 percent of New Zealand’s total merchandise export trade.

Carter referred to the EU’s “major challenges” and the “subdued” US, which in the past would have had a huge impact on New Zealand. New Zealand is fortunate to have repositioned itself so significantly with Asia, he said.

“We are well on the way to realising the Prime Minister’s ambition, which is shared by China’s leaders, to double our bilateral trade to $20 billion by 2015. The government’s trade agenda, led by Tim Groser, has the potential to deliver more opportunities to primary producers and exporters.”

Talks with eight other Trans-Pacific Partnership countries, including new partners Mexico and Canada, and also Russia, India, South Korea and the Gulf States “and you sense the size of the potential prize,” he told delegates.

The Minister had just returned from Russia, with which free trade negotiations are progressing. Two-way trade is currently worth about $700 million. “But, if a deal is reached, it will be Russia’s first international trade deal and our exports will grow significantly,” he said.

Highly regarded

“One of the things that was reinforced to me during my trip was how highly regarded New Zealand is internationally. We are renowned as producers of some of the best food in the world, at a time when food security is the world’s greatest challenge.”

The Minister also referred to the importance of biosecurity, local government reform, rural broadband initiatives and a new animal welfare toolkit for farmers being launched by the Ministry for Primary Industries in his speech.

 

Entries open for Prime Minister’s Business Scholarships

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Prime Minister John Key has opened the 2012 Prime Minister’s Business Scholarships and is calling for applications from ambitious executives looking to expand their international expertise. The scholarships are designed to build business capability and develop skills, particularly in management and international business leadership.

“As part of growing our economy we need to develop better management skills to get the best out of our workforce. Better managers mean more productive firms,” says the Prime Minister. “Getting access to the best knowledge from the world’s best schools can only benefit our senior executives and the companies to which they return.”

The scholarships give New Zealand’s senior managers, business owners and executives an opportunity to attend world-class learning institutions, and cover 50 per cent of costs associated with studying at an international business school, including course fees, airfares, accommodation, and other costs such as textbooks.

Applications close on 31 July 2012.

For more information go to www.med.govt.nz/scholarships.

Doing whatever it takes

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Adept beef clipOver 400 visits to meat plants here in New Zealand and around the world, up to his elbows and covered in blood and guts, have paid off for Adept clip inventor and managing director Murray Fenton.

Now used widely in meat plants throughout the world, the device reduces or eliminates contamination from gut contents during processing. The clips were first made in the 1970s after a call from a slaughter board supervisor at a local lamb processing plant. In 2009, the company announced that the billionth clip had just rolled off the production line (see Food NZ magazine, June 2009).

Appearing in a video interview alongside three other plastics industry leaders in the latest offering from Leaders Review, Murray says the first plant managers initially didn’t even bother dragging themselves out to see what he was doing. So it was a matter of standing there by himself, getting covered in the worst substances imaginable, stoically applying his new design to the carcases. That was until the the result and the effect on the production process became obvious. “Gustsy! Literally,” says Leaders Review‘s Peter Anich.

“Three out of the four plastics leaders made a point of not calling themselves ‘sales’ folk of any shape when when they started out. In fact, they described how downright awkward about this crucial process they had been. Innovation and product conviction pushed them forward anyway.”

Adept’s website states that of its meat industry products, meet EU and FDA Food-Contact requirements and are compatible with all rendering systems.

View the interviews at Leaders Review – Plastics Industry.

 

 

David Bayvel moves to WSPA

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A familiar face in New Zealand animal welfare is taking on a new international role.

As of 1 July, Dr David Bayvel QSO – who recently retired as director of animal welfare for MAF – will join the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) as Chief Veterinary Adviser. His newly created part-time role will be replacing the role held by Dr David Wilkins from 2004-2012.

In his new role, Bayvel will help to ensure that WSPA is working at the heart of the veterinary profession around the world to support and advance animal welfare. This will include working with the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) on the drafting of standards to ensure the implementaton of international standards and laws to protect the welfare of animals, says WSPA. He will also advise on WSPA’s programmes supporting the education of veterinarians through specially designed animal welfare training modules.

A renowned expert in the fields of animal welfare and veterinary science, Bayvel’s career has taken him around the world in the past four decades, including posts in private and public sector organisations and veterinary practice promoting ethical care and treatment of animals. He recently retired from the position of director of animal welfare for New Zealand MAF. He chaired the OIE ad hoc export group meeting on animal welfare and chaired the permanent OIE Animal Welfare working group from 2002-2012. He will now move to represent the International Coalition for Animal Welfare on this important OIE group.

Bayvel says he’s honoured to join WSPA. “I have long admired WSPA’s measured approach to animal welfare and its commitment to improving the conditions for animals around the world. WSPA has a proven track record on the world stage of forging collaborations with other key international NGOs and governments to have a lasting positive impact for animals and their communities.”

Dr Wilkins is to continue his involvement with WSPA, working on several special projects.