Votes have started arriving before next Monday's special meeting on the proposal.
Postal, Internet, fax and proxy votes are required to be with Silver Fern Farms (SFF) by 11am this Saturday.
Eligible shareholders can also vote in person at the special meeting, to be held on Monday, at 11am in the Edgar Centre, Dunedin.
SFF executive management have been reluctant to predict the outcome of the vote and whether they have the necessary 75% support to progress the partnership, but in the past week they have been noticeably upbeat.
Some shareholders have questioned the rules governing who can vote on the proposal.
A company spokesman confirmed it was up to 4500 shareholders who supplied the company's rebate system since October 1 2006.
The voting criteria were in line with SFF's constitution.
Silver Fern Farms (SFF) has about 9000 transacting shareholders but not all of those were current holders of rebate shares.
SFF figures show that less than 10% of eligible voters are in the North Island, 25% are in Canterbury, including Mid and South Canterbury, 17% in Otago and 14% in Southland.
SFF chairman Eoin Garden urged eligible shareholders to have their say on the proposal, in which PGG Wrightson would invest $220 million for a 50% stake in the Dunedin meat co-operative.
Mr Garden said the money would be used to retire debt, develop a strong in-market presence and complete the installation of meat processing and traceability technology.
Should the vote be successful, SFF is proposing a rebate of $9 a lamb, 20c a kg for cattle and 15c a kg for venison, for stock supplied from January 1 to June 30.
The proposal is contained in an information pack for voters which also states that supplier investment shareholders would receive a dividend of 10c a share and that PGG Wrightson capital shares were not eligible for any payment.
Chief executive Keith Cooper said in an interview that the rebate forecast was a requirement of the disclosure and profit distribution plans which was part of the partnership disclosure.
If the vote failed, the board would have to decide later in the year what rebate it would pay.
This is further evidence of the financial turnaround of SFF, which last year reported a $42 million loss but is expected to report a net profit before tax of more than $40 million this year.
Alliance is also predicting a profitable year and told shareholders last month it expected to pay $20 million in pools, along with a tax-paid dividend.
