Allan Barber surveys the practical Brexit risk for our meat trade and finds it is too soon to panic; we must keep talking to trading partners, hold our breath and wait More...
Allan Barber says the answer to the faster pace of market change signals is to keep things simple, while keeping an open mind. Consumers may be 'king' but they are fickle and what they do is often different to what they say More...
Allan Barber looks back of a year where New Zealand agriculture had to face a range of unexpected developments and a number of growing uncertainties, almost all of which will be festering in 2019 More...
With a good balance sheet, Alliance is repositioning itself to capture better margins from its $1.6 bln in revenue, a goal that wasn't achieved in its last year's results. Its promise is in the future More...
Allan Barber says the inescapable conclusion is that it is the ownership structure, not board composition, inhibiting Fonterra from reaching its true potential More...
Allan Barber reports the 'Taste Pure Nature' brand is almost ready to roll out in two key California cities, and Shanghai. The target is the conscious foodie consumer group; the goal is sustained up-sized returns More...
Allan Barber sees silly procurement competition as the bane of the meat industry, distorting signals to producers, and roiling industry sustainability More...
Allan Barber reviews how sheep and beef farmers can meet their industry environmental targets, through individual and group actions, responsive to key data More...
Allan Barber notes that New Zealand agriculture has reached peak production volume. From here out, survival and prosperity will only happen up the value chain More...
Allan Barber reviews the soap opera that is NAIT and finds little has changed despite reviews and clear indications the program is not delivering what it promised More...
The red meat sector is changing fast, as fast as its trading environment. Allan Barber assesses whether they are keeping up with all the transitions going on around them More...
Red meat exporters schooled in the key factors needed to succeed in China - and not risking it all there despite the lures is also a core takeaway More...
While there may be bumps in the road at present, MFAT's key negotiator sees bright prospects for our primary products and the story they can tell. Non-tariff barriers are the greater threat, he says More...
Allan Barber updates and reviews a key idea to improve on-farm productivity, one that may involve a quarter of all sheep & beef farms, and one that has a great chance of success More...
Allan Barber reviews Blue Sky Meats chequered performance, this year a rare profit. Is this the turnaround that they need to justify the farmer loyalty they have enjoyed? More...
Allan Barber says disruption is coming from many directions for red meat, but the industry has an ideal opportunity to respond with a natural, grass-fed message for premium markets More...
Both farmers and the red meat processing industry enthusiastically support the work developing an origin brand, supporting and developing higher environmental credentials More...
The coming country of origin brand campaign, the new Environment Strategy, and the Red Meat Story bolster a strong environmental backstory for the Taste Pure Nature pitch More...
Allan Barber reviews some decidedly average results by the key meat processors, even as farmer returns are high in the face of aggressive competition More...