Markets need tailored approaches

Beef and Lamb New Zealand Central South Island farmer councillor and Alliance director Dawn...
Beef and Lamb New Zealand Central South Island farmer councillor and Alliance director Dawn Sangster, who farms at Ranfurly. Supplied photo
Ranfurly farmer Dawn Sangster is a woman of many trades and talents, one being an elected member of the Beef and Lamb New Zealand (BLNZ) Central South Island farmer council, the other as an Alliance Group director and in what time she has left, a farmer in the Maniototo.

Last week, she spoke at the annual BLNZ Central South Island annual meeting about her trip earlier this year when she spent five weeks visiting key New Zealand global meat markets and customers in the United States, United Kingdom, Europe, Singapore and Indonesia.

''Every market is different, and in order to secure customers, we must understand and cater for the individual needs of each of these markets,'' she said.

''Getting alongside customers on the ground enabled valuable connections and learning to take place.''

''The future is positive, the world is hungry for our grass-fed red meat and there will be an increasing number people prepared to pay a premium for high quality, safe lamb, beef and venison.''

Mrs Sangster's outlook on the global meat market was seen as a step in the right direction for sheep and beef farmers and BLNZ farmer council Central South Island chairman Bill Wright said he felt there was a positive feel in the sheep and beef sector.

This year had been a positive one for the Central South Island, as it hosted about 60 events throughout Canterbury and Otago.

BLNZ senior extension manager Aaron Meikle said some of the highlights over the past year had included the ''Big Day Out'' at Earnscleugh Station, which would be repeated at Grampians Station, in Canterbury, next month.

Other successes had been running the Farming for Profit workshops throughout the area and ''The Glammies'' which Prime Minister John Key had attended as a guest judge this year.

He said sheep and beef farmers had a more positive outlook after a lift in prices.

The focus for BLNZ had also shifted to running smaller workshops where farmers could be more hands-on.

This coming year a big focus for both the Central South Island and the Southern South Island BLNZ areas is environmental rule changes being put in place by regional and environmental councils. Mr Meikle said BLNZ would in future hold workshops reflecting these changes.

- by Nicole Sharp 

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