Business

EU meat producers launch Farm-to-Fork initiative for NZ consumers

A new initiative from European Beef and Pork has been launched to help give New Zealand consumers transparency over the food safety and ethical standards of the imported products. In an age of growing consumer awareness about the way our food is produced, a production concept that assures animal welfare and safe preparation is being championed by the EU meat industry. The European Union’s new farm-to-fork programme was created to assure the public that beef and pork has met high safety requirements and environmental and ethical manufacturing standards. The main philosophy behind the concept is that consumers need to be able to easily trace where the meat on their plate came from. Ensuring animals have healthy lives, which significantly improves the quality of their meat, is another primary concern. In a bid to reduce animal stress, the concept regulates transport as well as density, temperature and humidity, noise level and air circulation where animals are kept. Imports of European pork into New Zealand resumed last year after an 11-year ban. Reassuringly for New Zealand families, the use of hormones, growth stimulants and antibiotics is banned in EU beef and pork. The farm-to-fork concept also protects consumer health, requiring the farming of pigs and cattle in the territory of the EU to be supervised by veterinary institutions. The health of animals is monitored, and the meat of animals is also subject to veterinary checks. Further ensuring the safety of EU beef and pork, sanitary packaging processes are strictly regulated. Polystyrene trays with stretch foil, modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) and vacuum packaging effectively prevent meat from drying. These measures also prevent bacterial growth, guaranteeing the freshness and proper colour of the meat. In its most innovative measure, the concept requires all EU beef and pork products to be labelled with the name […]

Pukekohe grower named NZ’s best young vegetable grower

Andrew Hutchinson from Pukekohe has beaten off tough competition from three other entrants to be crowned NZ Young Vegetable Grower of 2016. The day-long competition in Christchurch yesterday saw competitors battle it out in a series of practical and theoretical challenges designed to test the skills needed to run a successful vegetable growing business. Andrew (28), works at AS Wilcox & Sons as a technical advisor for the company’s potato supply team. As well as taking out the title of Young Vegetable Grower, Andrew received the awards for “Best Business” and “Best Practical” after scoring top marks for these activities. Andrew’s prize includes a professional development tour to Australia to learn about its horticulture industry valued at $2,500, a cash prize of $1,500 and an all-expenses paid trip to compete for the national 2016 Young Grower of the Year title in July. “Winning the competition was really unexpected and this year’s competition had some of the best young growers I’ve met,” said Mr Hutchinson. “I’m looking forward to competing at the national final and will be stepping up my preparation over the next few months.” Second place went to the youngest competitor in the history of the competition, Lincoln Roper (16) from Roper & Son in Canterbury. Pukekohe grower Amrik Singh (19) from Purewal Growers came third and won the prize for the evening’s best speech. Kirsty de Jong, Horticulture New Zealand’s manager of the Young Grower competition, said: “We thoroughly enjoy putting this competition together and seeing talented, highly skilled young growers like Andrew and Lincoln doing so well. “Our industry is increasingly attracting young University-qualified scientists like Andrew, who completed a Bachelor of Applied Science majoring in Horticulture before entering the industry. We need these people to help horticulture businesses increase yield and protect crops from disease.”

Future Direction for Sustainable Sourcing?

http://www.sustainablefoodssummit.com Sustainable sourcing has become fashionable in the food industry, with a growing number of companies making such commitments. However, the increasing number of sustainability schemes raises questions about long-term developments. Coffee, the most traded agricultural commodity, has the highest market share. It is estimated that almost 20% of all coffee is now sourced according to some sustainability scheme. Apart from adopting third party labelling schemes, companies like Nestlé and Starbucks have developed their own sourcing programmes. Almost all of Starbucks coffee is now ethically sourced, most according to its CAFÉ (Coffee and Farm Equity) scheme, totalling over 0.2 million tonnes of coffee beans per year. The market share of sustainable cocoa and tea is also rising. The Fairtrade mark is highly visible on confectionary products containing fairtrade cocoa, whilst the ‘green frog’ displays Rainforest Alliance-certified tea. New initiatives, such as the Union for Ethical BioTrade (UEBT) standard for sustainable herbal teas, are also becoming popular. As will be shown at the Sustainable Foods Summit www.sustainablefoodssummit.com, other sustainable sourcing programmes are gaining traction because of traceability. The Non-GMO Project Verified scheme is the fastest growing in North America because of consumer opposition to genetically modified crops. The market for certified products has grown from nothing to US $16 billion within 7 years. In Europe, sustainability schemes such as Danube Soya and ProTerra are being adopted by companies wanting to verify their supply chains as GMO-free. A recent development is the increasing number of sustainability schemes for single ingredients. The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) was initially launched to halt deforestation in South-East Asia. By highlighting the opaqueness of global supply chains, the RSPO has encouraged related schemes for sustainable soya and beef. Backed by the United Nations, the Sustainable Rice Platform was launched in October 2015 as the first […]

FWF after lucrative Japanese market

In the picture: David Musgrave managing director. From Regional Manufacturing a section of NZ Manufacturer www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz Eve Johnson sits on the board of Functional Wholesale Products and has come back into the company as Development Manager. Eve has worked with FWF for 11 years now and was formally CEO. She shares with NZ Manufacturer plans for the future. Functional Whole Foods Limited, based in Geraldine, South Canterbury, New Zealand specialises in the production of high quality, cold pressed flax seed oil and seed meal. The Company formulates these products with other natural extracts to produce and market a range of products with particular health benefits. The products are sold widely throughout New Zealand and a number of countries overseas. All products are made from New Zealand raw materials that are certified organic and are from sustainable production. The Company has established and built the flax seed oil market over the past 20 years and remains the market leader in New Zealand. Functional Wholesale Products is in partnership with The Herb Farm developing and producing a range of healing cosmetics that are building momentum. What area(s) of the business are currently being developed? Our partnership with Japan – we are exploring new avenues and revenue streams in this lucrative market for Flax Seed Oil. New routes to market in New Zealand with opportunities to expand the concept overseas. Does the company place much emphasis on R & D? Yes we do and have worked extensively in the past with Massey University and Crop and Food, Canterbury. More recently with Lincoln University through Charles Brennon. We have found the use of students an excellent R&D find! Where do you export to and where are future opportunities? Japan, Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Czech Republic. Future opportunities in the UK and Europe, […]

Foreign investment essential for New Zealand

Foreign investment is needed to grow New Zealand exports and jobs, according to a new report. Foreign Direct Investment in New Zealand, commissioned by ExportNZ and authored by economic consultancy NZIER, says foreign investment is essential to help New Zealand businesses maintain and improve their international competitiveness. The report says more, not less, foreign investment is needed for economic growth, regional development and job opportunities. ExportNZ Executive Director Catherine Beard said more foreign direct investment (FDI) was required to support distribution channels into new markets to enable New Zealand businesses to remain connected to international supply chains. Catherine Beard said foreign investment was also important for job growth. “Today one in five New Zealanders works in a firm that is part-funded by FDI. New Zealand firms part-funded by foreign investment tend to grow faster and pay higher wages than firms with no foreign investment.” NZIER Deputy Chief Executive John Ballingall said foreign investment helped unlock business opportunities and encouraged productivity improvements. “Maintaining an open foreign investment regime is crucial for New Zealand in a global marketplace that competes aggressively for funds. “By being connected and integrated with other economies through FDI flows and sending positive signals that New Zealand is open for business under a sensible investment regime, we can reduce the risk premium associated with investing in New Zealand.” The report shows that most foreign investment in New Zealand comes from long-term trading partners. Currently 52 percent comes from Australia, 8 percent from the US, 5 percent from the UK, and 0.7 percent from China. The report includes case studies of two New Zealand businesses that have been able to grow profits and jobs through business development funded by foreign investment. Foreign Direct Investment in New Zealand can be downloaded from www.exportnz.org.nz and www.nzier.org.nz

MPI imposes tough restrictions on imported seed

The Ministry for Primary Industries has imposed tough new border restrictions to stop contaminated seed from entering New Zealand. The move follows the discovery of velvet leaf in fodder beet seeds imported from Europe. MPI, industry bodies and regional councils are currently responding to an outbreak of the invasive weed in farm properties across the country. “We already have strong border controls in place to stop contaminated seed from entering New Zealand. The new interim measures will provide another layer of biosecurity until we know exactly how the contaminated fodder beet seeds entered the country,” says Stephen Butcher, MPI Manager Import and Export Plants. The new, strengthened interim measures are: An import ban on all fodder beet seed lines known to be contaminated with velvetleaf. The requirement for sign-off by one of MPI’s two chief technical officers before all other fodder beet seed can be released at the border. Subjecting all pelleted seed imports (not just fodder beet) to laboratory testing for contaminants, rather than solely using visual inspection by quarantine officers. “The measures will result in the increased scrutiny of seed imports. And they will ensure this scrutiny takes place at the highest level of MPI, based on specialist advice,” says Mr Butcher. MPI will also visit fodder beet-growing regions in Europe during the coming growing season to inform future decisions about New Zealand import requirements. “We want to review the certification systems that countries use to assure New Zealand that imported seed is free of contaminants,” says Mr Butcher. He says that permanent changes to New Zealand’s seed importing requirements will be introduced following further investigation of the velvetleaf outbreak and consultation with industry.

Synlait nutritional half year profit is $12.3 million

Synlait has reported an underlying net profit after tax (NPAT) of $12.3 million for the first half of the 2016 financial year (HY16). In contrast to $0.4 million in HY15, this improved performance is primarily the result of increased nutritional sales in canned infant formula. “We’re glad to deliver a solid result for the first half of FY16. Our significant investment in customer and product development, people, plant and operating systems in recent years is beginning to transform our earnings,” said Chairman Graeme Milne. “Our core strategy is to partner with leaders in the infant formula and adult nutrition industries. These half year results demonstrate the early success of this strategy and we’re pleased with our pace of execution,” said Mr Milne. Nutritional product sales for the period were 7,498 MT, a 155% increase on HY15’s 2,946 MT, and accounted for 16% of total sales volumes in HY16. “The result we’re expecting is an almost fourfold increase in canned infant formula sales in FY16, compared to FY15. Concurrently, by the end of FY16, we will have strengthened our balance sheet by restructuring our working capital requirements and repaying debt.” “This position provides a base for potential further capital expansion,” said Mr Milne. Managing Director and CEO John Penno highlights the success of Synlait’s partnership with nutritional customer The a2 Milk Company™. “As the sole manufacturer of their fast growing a2 Platinum® range of infant formula, it’s a good example of a strong customer relationship providing a positive return to our bottom line,” said Mr Penno. “We continue to work closely with The a2 Milk Company™ to support their growth and expect this partnership will grow deeper over time. At the same time, we are equally committed to developing all of our customer partnerships.” This includes a partnership with US-based Munchkin […]

Old dirt, new boots: the economics of land, water and people

The evolution of New Zealand’s farming systems towards greater sustainability, and one man’s journey to redefine what it means to be an academic, are the topics for an inaugural professorial lecture being held at the University of Waikato this month. At just 40 years old, Professor Graeme Doole is one of New Zealand’s leading environmental economists. He grew up on a sheep and beef farm in the Taihape region of the central North Island, and has spent the past decade researching the environmental problems associated with agricultural activity on both sides of the Tasman. Professor Doole acts as an economic adviser to the Ministry for the Environment, in a position jointly funded by the Ministry and the University’s Waikato Management School. One key aspect of his role is to help central and regional government develop insights into the economic impact of new environmental policies that will significantly improve the water quality of New Zealand’s rivers, lakes and streams. “Society wants better water quality, but at the same time our national economy is heavily reliant on agriculture. Now we’re faced with trying to reverse-engineer our traditional farming systems, and that’s really difficult,” he says. In recent years, Professor Doole says his academic practice has shifted towards “a more pragmatic economics where I can engage with people and help to solve real-world problems. You’re always hoping that your work will transform the world for the better, even in some small way, rather than just living in a book.” The loss of contaminants from farms into waterways remains a huge challenge for New Zealand to overcome. However, Professor Doole believes researchers often spend too long trying to build complex models, rather than looking for simpler solutions that would lead to quick environmental wins. “We need to ask ourselves, right now, what is the […]

Rural contractors back current temporary worker immigration rules

Agricultural contractors around New Zealand support the Government’s current immigration rules on allowing temporary workers into the country. This comes following recent criticism by opposition political parties that these regulations are cutting New Zealanders out of employment. Rural Contractors NZ (RCNZ) president Steve Levet says the use of temporary, skilled overseas workers is vital for agricultural contracting sector. “Every year, in many parts of the country, it’s often impossible for rural contractors to find skilled New Zealanders to carry out this seasonal work,” he explains. “That’s why it is necessary for us to look overseas to find experienced people to fill this need.” It is not known exactly how many temporary, overseas workers are needed by rural contractors each year – but it is thought to be around 900. Mr Levet says RCNZ has worked hard with Immigration New Zealand in an effort to resolve the problems around contractors bringing in overseas workers for the harvest season. Later this year, national body will implement a new scheme to bring in overseas workers – following a deal struck between it and Immigration NZ. This will see RCNZ applying for an Approval in Principle (AIP) on behalf of all members of the national body and contractors. Contractors will then be able to apply online for a visa for the person being recruited – without having to advertise, go to WINZ or any the other requirements currently causing so much difficulty. “As RCNZ will hold the AIP, there are a number of responsibilities placed on us and it will be important that all those contractors who wish to use this scheme comply with all these conditions and requirements,” Mr Levet explains. “For starters, there will need to be a written contract between RCNZ and each member company participating in the scheme – to […]

Agri-food sector crucial for New Zealanders’ wellbeing

The agri-food sector in New Zealand contributes around one fifth of the country’s GDP according to a new study released by the Agribusiness and Economics Research Unit (AERU) at Lincoln University – and there are some key actions to keep that contribution strong. The Land and the Brand report, authored by Professor Caroline Saunders and Professor Paul Dalziel, aimed to measure the sector’s economic impact and to analyse how the sector can (and must) continue to grow to support the wellbeing of New Zealanders. Agri-food produce grown from the country’s natural resources make up more than 70 per cent of New Zealand’s merchandise exports. This includes dairy products, meat and wool products, forestry and wood products, horticulture products and seafood. The study found that in 2011/12, the growing and harvesting of products contributed 6 per cent of GDP, or $12 billion, to the economy. Processing those products doubled the sector’s value to $25 billion or 12 per cent of GDP. “These primary and processing activities themselves then draw on additional goods and services across the whole economy,” explained Professor Saunders. “If you take these indirect effects into account, the total size of the agri-food sector was $40 billion in 2011/12. That’s nearly $1 for every $5 spent in the economy that year.” The Land and the Brand study looked at not just the economic data but also the future of the sector, setting out a vision for future growth. Continued commercial success requires a combination of industry leadership, effective science, skilled people and cooperative investment – all working towards production of high value products from the agri-food sector, rather than treating our agri-food products as low-cost commodity items. “The findings underscore how critical the industry is to our economic health, and the future opportunities for New Zealand as a high […]

«‹ 53 54 55 56 ›»

News Ticker

Business