Chairman Richard Young was delighted with the success of a meeting in Christchurch this week, attended by between 600 and 700 farmers.
At that meeting, there was unanimous support for a motion that farmers were prepared to commit their stock to a consolidated meat company on the basis of the six principles earlier outlined by the group.
It was a ''really positive'' meeting, with Massey University agribusiness professor Hamish Gow, Lincoln University agribusiness professor Keith Woodford and New Zealand Merino Company chief executive John Brakenridge giving different perspectives to the meeting held in Gore last month, attended by 1000 farmers, Mr Young said.
Both Silver Fern Farms and Alliance Group publicly supported what they were trying to do and said they were prepared to work with them ''when we're prepared to work with them'', he said.
Another meeting, to be held in Feilding on May 26, would now be run by MIE. It was also hoped to hold meetings in Gisborne and Te Kuiti.
The support from the North Island was very important.
''We can't really do too much else until we get to the North Island and get a New Zealand mandate,'' Mr Young said.
But the group was receiving an overwhelming message that the current structure was not working and a better way was needed. In Christchurch, Mr Young presented a five-point plan which he believed would give farmers some direction.
The short-term goals were to achieve a New Zealand-wide mandate for change, establish a ''tight-five'' group to research, evaluate and short-list possible structural solutions for the new industry, and undertake due diligence on industry rationalisation.
Longer-term goals were commitment of stakeholders to a new strategy and then industry-wide adoption of a business plan.
MIE planned to make further appointments to its executive to ensure it had representation from throughout New Zealand.
Yesterday, Labour Primary Industries spokesman Damien O'Connor said the Government, through the Ministry of Primary Industries, must assist MIE to develop a model that gave confidence to farmers, processors and marketers; one that would enable the industry to reverse the trend of declining dry stock numbers.
There was clear agreement from the Christchurch meeting that the current structure was ''broke'', the status quo unsustainable, and there was an urgent need for a new direction, Mr O'Connor said.
