20 Dec 2010

Briefings to be held on meat industry strategy in new year

6:08 am on 20 December 2010

Farmers are to be briefed on a draft strategy to restore profitability to the meat industry in January.

The Meat Industry Association and Beef + Lamb New Zealand are working with Deloitte to develop the sector-wide framework with the aim of putting it into effect in March.

Beef + Lamb says it has collected and analysed a huge amount of industry information and data, which chairman Mike Petersen says has been worked into a draft strategy for discussion.

A key part of the report will be identifying how a participant in the value chain, whether it's a farmer, or a processing company or a marketer or a third party can change their behaviour to add value to the sector.

Mr Petersen says the draft strategy will be presented to farmers and industry members at a series of meetings planned for early next year.

The meetings begin in Southland on 24 January.