Home News Opinion Videos Blogs Features Family Notices Classifieds Photos Events Clubs Advertising Contact
Sport Focus on the Land Entertainment
Editorials Columns Letters
News Market Place
Hill country farming a Beef and Lamb focus
Wednesday, July 18, 2012 • Shaan Te Kani
ACTIVITIES like Friday’s Monitor Farm Community Meeting at Tiniroto’s Raukura Station are ideal for connecting better with communities, says Beef and Lamb New Zealand chairman Mike Petersen.

Mr Petersen was a guest speaker at the community day and said the events had been a focus for Beef and Lamb NZ.

“We’ve been really amping up extension activities like these sorts of events,” he said.

“It provides a chance for us to spread information as well as deliver an update on all of our programmes and what we have lined up for the year.”

One of the topics highlighted by Mr Petersen was the Primary Growth Partnership applications being developed by the government at the moment.

“This is about accelerating the best practice on the farm,” he said.

“There’s no plan yet but in my view this is potentially a new way of doing business through farmer investments.

“We have basically got all of the main meat companies, banks and other service providers on board for this collaborative approach around improving best practice on the farm and bringing profitability back to the sector.

“Working more with other people in the agricultural sector has been a focus and we’ve also been working with groups such as Young Farmers and schools.”

It was important to spread that message to the Tiniroto community because it was core sheep and beef country, he said.

“This part of the world, the East Coast, is unique and you don’t get any closer to core sheep and beef than Tiniroto,” he said.

“We don’t have dairy options, which is why we focus on getting better production off hill country.”

Mr Petersen said Beef and Lamb NZ was still planning to increase levies on sheep and beef as signalled in 2009.

“This will be the final year of that movement,” he said.

“We signalled to farmers back then that there would be a levy increase of 5 cents a head on sheep meat and 20 cents a head on beef.

“We’ll continue adjustment on levies to what farmers thought were important to keep on level of investment.

“There is a question mark around the broad issue of consistent trim standards and we’re pleased that the meat industry has picked up this by adapting a trim standard scheme.

“It will bring greater transparency to payments to farmers.”
Beef and Lamb New Zealand chairman Mike Petersen. Picture supplied.
Comments
No comments - be the first to comment
Poll

Do you agree with a bid to pull bridge jumpers away from unsafe road bridges in the city by building “bombing platforms” for youngsters in safe places along the Turanganui River?

Please read: Call for ‘bombing platforms’
Yes
No
Don't Know
Send in your
News
Letters
Columns
Events
Clubs
Classifieds
Poll suggestions
Explore The Gisborne Herald
News Editorial Features Events
Sport Letters to the Editor Family Notices Clubs
Focus on the Land Columns Classifieds Advertising
News Features Polls Photos Contact
64 Gladstone Road, PO Box 1143, Gisborne, New Zealand | Ph: +64 6 869 0600 | Fax: +64 6 869 0643 (editorial) | Fax: +64 6 869 0644 (advertising) | News Hotline: 0800 NEWSLINE (639 754) | info@gisborneherald.co.nz Copyright © The Gisborne Herald