Tinkering at the edges of change in the meat and wool sectors are ''not going to cut it'', Federated Farmers meat and fibre chairman Rick Powdrell says. Meat producers could not dismiss the future threat of synthetic meat and he recommended Federated Farmers meat and fibre council get someone with knowledge of synthetic meat production and attributes to speak. ''We need to understand these products to address how we front-foot our marketing of meat products against this competition,'' he said. Sheep and beef prices were back to sustainable levels but wool prices were ''dismal'', he said. Last year's unexpected referendum result had increased uncertainty around the demand environment, and the pound had fallen sharply.

Source: Otago Daily Times June 21, 2017 18:11 UTC