NZMB chair Andrew Morrison says a focus for the centennial year will be the publication of a new book, Meeting Change.
The 2020-21 financial year was one of change, disruption and uncertainty for the New Zealand Meat Board (NZMB), chair Andrew Morrison says.
Speaking at the body’s virtual annual meeting last week, Morrison says Brexit, covid and the UK free trade agreement negotiations made it a busy year for the NZMB.
The NZMB is responsible for managing the country’s $2.3 billion quota trade and also livestock farmer reserves, which grew $5.8 million to $82.2m from a 10.2% return on investment.
Morrison said the main quota markets are the UK, EU and US and, through board management, it saved exporters from paying $839m in tariffs for the year.
For the year ended September 2021, the NZMB reported a surplus of $5.78m compared to $443,000 in 2020.
The surplus after tax comprises a surplus of $6.11m from reserves management (2020 surplus $561,000) and a deficit of $331,000 from quota management activities (2020 deficit $118,000).
He said the board tries to make the quota management account financially neutral, but the deficit reflected the work required negotiating the UK FTA.
He said that the agreement will significantly benefit beef, which will have quota-free access for 12,000 tonnes in the first year, rising to 39,000 tonnes in year 10 and 60,000 tonnes in year 15.
For sheepmeat, NZ will have access for an additional 35,000 tonnes in year one rising to 50,000 tonnes in year four.
In the coming year the board is investing in a beef genetics programme, which will replicate the sheep genetics improvement scheme.
Morrison said sheep industry genetic gains for the last 25 years have been a productivity success story and the aim is to replicate those genetic gains in the beef industry.
The board this week launched celebrations marking 100 years.
“The NZMB was established in 1922 to co-operatively market products and negotiate prices and freight and held its first meeting on March, 17 1922,” Morrison said.
Its role has subsequently evolved to manage export quotas and financial reserves on behalf of the red meat sector.
He said a focus for the centennial year will be the publication of a new book, Meeting Change, which picks up the industry’s story from the 75th anniversary and covers the transformation of the early 2000s.
A book launch and other events to celebrate the centennial will be held later in the year.
