Allan Barber

About

Now in his semi-retirement at Point Wells near Warkworth, Allan is a freelance agricultural journalist writing mainly about the meat industry which has remained his key area of interest since leaving AFFCO in 1997.

Member for

12 years 2 months

Latest articles

Visions or pipe dreams?

Allan Barber highlights the drivers for a sustainable meat industry have nothing to do with social aspirational 'values', but all to do with either accepting, or trying to change consumer perceptions the product is a commodity

16th Apr 24, 9:25am

by Allan Barber

Allan Barber reports on growing moves to broaden the focus of meat marketing, suggesting the challenge by alternatives seems to be fading

8th Apr 24, 10:44am

by Allan Barber

Allan Barber reports on growing moves to broaden the focus of meat marketing, suggesting the challenge by alternatives seems to be fading

Field days and workshops are key to ensuring improved on-farm productivity brings better profitability

Beef and Lamb’s essential work for farmers

B+LNZ's prior focus of battling Wellington, and launching Taste Pure Nature, is shifting to raising on-farm productivity & profitability in the face of coming lower returns from the surge in Aussie meat exports

26th Mar 24, 11:47am

by Allan Barber

China and USA dictate red meat sector’s fortunes

Allan Barber explains why it will be tougher in 2024 for red meat exports with both our main customers being offered rising volumes from our trans-Tasman cousins

15th Mar 24, 10:41am

by Allan Barber

Allan Barber explains why it will be tougher in 2024 for red meat exports with both our main customers being offered rising volumes from our trans-Tasman cousins

Flood recovery motivates change of farming systems

A year after the 2023 floods, Allan Barber returns to Kaipara Hills district to talk to farmers about how they are coping with the aftermath and how they are adapting their farming systems

29th Feb 24, 10:03am

by Allan Barber

A year after the 2023 floods, Allan Barber returns to Kaipara Hills district to talk to farmers about how they are coping with the aftermath and how they are adapting their farming systems

The dangers of presenting new scientific research as proven fact

Allan Barber finds that 'new' research needs to be assessed critically when it comes to climate claims. A grass-fed vs grain-fed study raises issues that apply widely

15th Feb 24, 11:32am

by Allan Barber

Allan Barber finds that 'new' research needs to be assessed critically when it comes to climate claims. A grass-fed vs grain-fed study raises issues that apply widely

Not clear if Fonterra has been all good for dairy industry

[updated]

Allan Barber wonders if Fonterra's lock on large scale supply is inhibiting competitors who need volume to make the most of higher value product opportunities

30th Jan 24, 11:17am

by Allan Barber

Allan Barber wonders if Fonterra's lock on large scale supply is inhibiting competitors who need volume to make the most of higher value product opportunities

EU’s 30th birthday celebrations not entirely justified

Allan Barber assesses how the first 30 years of the European Union has worked out, a formation that has had an impact New Zealand's trade with Europe

19th Jan 24, 9:46am

by Allan Barber

Allan Barber assesses how the first 30 years of the European Union has worked out, a formation that has had an impact New Zealand's trade with Europe

Minister of Agriculture, Damien O'Connor, and shadow minister Todd McClay

Ministers past and present

The change of Government has brought a change in the ministers of trade and agriculture, but it is veterans replacing veterans. Allan Barber assesses past performance and likely future performance, but notes change is not likely to be major

19th Dec 23, 9:02am

by Allan Barber

Alliance optimistic despite horror result

Allan Barber reviews Alliance Group's poor trading result and tries to make sense of the company's optimism in light of some strong market headwinds, as well as their capital structure that is not bolstered by others

5th Dec 23, 4:05pm

by Allan Barber

Land restoration workshop in the Mahurangi region

Huge soil loss requires change to farming methods

Allan Barber reviews the community effort going in to land restoration and the related workshop in the Mahurangi region. He also delves into an example of one farmer tackling his erosion problem

21st Nov 23, 9:42am

by Allan Barber

Allan Barber reviews the community effort going in to land restoration and the related workshop in the Mahurangi region. He also delves into an example of one farmer tackling his erosion problem

Downstream impacts of growing forestry conversions have meat industry on edge

Allan Barber reports that meat processors are assessing the changes they will need to make as forest conversions eat into their livestock supply flows

1st Nov 23, 12:24pm

by Allan Barber

Allan Barber reports that meat processors are assessing the changes they will need to make as forest conversions eat into their livestock supply flows

Land use change threatening livestock numbers and rural communities

Allan Barber says allowing fossil fuel emitters to offset 100% of their emissions by carbon farming gives them an unjustified advantage over food farming land uses, hollowing out the hill country communities especially

24th Oct 23, 12:01am

by Allan Barber

Longer-term trade prospects better than next 12 months

Allan Barber says understanding the customer's customer has added importance in China for New Zealand food exporters. Local market experts like Mark Tanner and David Mahon can provide key insights

3rd Oct 23, 8:17am

by Allan Barber

Allan Barber says understanding the customer's customer has added importance in China for New Zealand food exporters. Local market experts like Mark Tanner and David Mahon can provide key insights

HWEN (in its present form) may be in its death throes

Allan Barber sees the recent tone deaf announcement from Damien O'Connor enabling policies that incentivise the wrong outcome, and risking dangerous delays to the sustainability progress that the HWEN consensus has already won with farmers

12th Sep 23, 10:51am

by Allan Barber

Avoid being caught in the crossfire

It is one thing for our trade negotiators to win benefits and concessions. But the value is lost if exporters and traders apply to use them

22nd Aug 23, 4:27pm

by Allan Barber

It is one thing for our trade negotiators to win benefits and concessions. But the value is lost if exporters and traders apply to use them

Political debate generates amusement, a few sparks, but not much light

The 2023 Red Meat Sector Conference political debate by the key candidates refrained from sharp partisan positions, offered considered positions to generally difficult issues, leaving the audience unsatisfied for the silver bullets they sought

15th Aug 23, 12:02pm

by Allan Barber

Full credit to trade negotiators

Allan Barber likes the progress NZ has made with a broad set of trade deals. The challenge now is to avoid the pesky non-tariff barriers countries raise

1st Aug 23, 12:48pm

by Allan Barber

Allan Barber likes the progress NZ has made with a broad set of trade deals. The challenge now is to avoid the pesky non-tariff barriers countries raise

An environmental and conservation success story

Allan Barber highlights the long term project by the Forest Bridge Trust to restore the biodiversity from the Kaipara Harbour in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east, across North Auckland

18th Jul 23, 1:31pm

by Allan Barber

Allan Barber highlights the long term project by the Forest Bridge Trust to restore the biodiversity from the Kaipara Harbour in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east, across North Auckland

Motorway open at long last

Allan Barber welcomes the safer faster extension of Auckland's northern motorway into Northland and calls for a speeded up process to get it all the way to Whangarei

6th Jul 23, 9:36am

by Allan Barber

Allan Barber welcomes the safer faster extension of Auckland's northern motorway into Northland and calls for a speeded up process to get it all the way to Whangarei

Recovery starts in the Kaipara

Allan Barber finds that farmers in the Kaipara Hills and neighbouring areas are getting on with the recovery process, although much of the land will take years to repair

22nd Jun 23, 1:00pm

by Allan Barber

Allan Barber finds that farmers in the Kaipara Hills and neighbouring areas are getting on with the recovery process, although much of the land will take years to repair

Red meat not as bad for health or climate as claimed

Allan Barber reports that in key markets, demand for fake meat is sharply lower while demand for the real thing is rising. The climate impacts of red meat farming are getting better understood too

7th Jun 23, 10:36am

by Allan Barber

Allan Barber reports that in key markets, demand for fake meat is sharply lower while demand for the real thing is rising. The climate impacts of red meat farming are getting better understood too

ANZCO completes trifecta for meat exporters

Allan Barber reports that the red meat sector sees favourable market conditions into the foreseeable future. The processor exporters are well structured to take advantage

23rd May 23, 12:38pm

by Allan Barber

Allan Barber reports that the red meat sector sees favourable market conditions into the foreseeable future. The processor exporters are well structured to take advantage

Agriculture policy alternatives heating up

Allan Barber says the risk for agricultural sector voters is to resist action in the expectation a change of government will let them off the hook - which is a far from a guaranteed outcome

11th May 23, 10:35am

by Allan Barber

Allan Barber says the risk for agricultural sector voters is to resist action in the expectation a change of government will let them off the hook - which is a far from a guaranteed outcome

Silver Fern Farms exceeds expectations

Allan Barber says the predicted benefit of the major Chinese investment in Silver Fern Farms, strongly resisted at the time by a minority of supplier shareholders, has now become crystal clear

26th Apr 23, 8:39am

by Allan Barber

Allan Barber says the predicted benefit of the major Chinese investment in Silver Fern Farms, strongly resisted at the time by a minority of supplier shareholders, has now become crystal clear