Silver Fern Farms has defended the payment of premiums for
certain breeds of lamb, saying the market paid more for
certain animals which met certain criteria.
Farmers have criticised the meat co-operative for paying
farmers a 10c a kg premium for Primera-bred lambs supplied
under contract to Marks and Spencer, but Silver Fern Farms
(SFF) said to qualify, the lambs had to meet standards
demanded by the supermarket chain.
SFF livestock manager Grant Howie said lamb breed was just
one criterion demanded by Marks and Spencer.
Suppliers also had to monitor their carbon footprint,
greenhouse gas emissions, land management impact and have
plans for the environment, quality assurance, animal welfare
and food safety, he said.
Canterbury Meat Packers paid a premium for lambs which
qualified for its Waitrose market, he said, and such schemes
were the way the industry was headed.
"This is the old market averaging model versus the new
integrated-market led model. When it comes to the Marks and
Spencer programme, there is more value in the total programme
than an average market programme."
Another example was SFF's Angus beef programme with
McDonald's, in which the fast food chain only took Angus-bred
cattle which met breed criteria.
Mr Howie said Marks and Spencer had determined Primera lambs
tasted better than other breeds, just as McDonald's had with
its McAngus range of burgers, and SFF was passing back to
farmers premiums customers were prepared to pay.
