Agricultural exports made $52 billion and contributed 82% of export revenues despite a line-up of challenges since Covid-19 arrived.
About 300 delegates attending the Red Meat Sector Conference in Christchurch heard that they’d faced an increase in government policies, regulations and consumer attitudes around Climate Change.
"I’m really proud of how we’ve navigated these Covid challenges and I’m really proud we’ve collectively navigated these policy challenges," Beef+Lamb NZ chairman Andrew Morrison said.
"We’ve come together as a red meat sector and an agricultural sector."
Mr Morrison said it was making headway for its refreshed goal of being a sustainable, vibrant and profitable sheep and beef sector.
He said it had been challenging to get people to work, process large amounts of animals and getting through supply chain logistics.
"You all know what we’ve lived through the past two years while we’ve been doing that. We’ve lived through regulatory changes, Covid."