More cooperation and less competition is needed with the EU on lamb according to the chairman of Beef + Lamb New Zealand.
Chairman James Parsons reported farmers’ returns could increase on both sides of the world, through more cooperation between the EU and New Zealand.
"A lot of good work has been put in over the years to build strong relationships with farmer groups in the UK and Europe. There is now a good understanding of the value of having lamb on supermarket shelves 12 months of the year, and the role New Zealand lamb plays in that.
"Any issues with New Zealand lamb being sold in the European peak season are better understood these days and it is acknowledged that it’s far better to cooperate on this for our collective interests," Parsons said.
Farming organisations from the UK and New Zealand, which included Meurig Raymond, president of the UK National Farmers’ Union, and Mike Petersen, New Zealand’s special agricultural trade envoy met in the UK for a panel discussion. Parsons pressed home the importance of farmers focusing on what can be managed and achieved on-farm.
"Too much focus is given to price per head rather than profit per hectare, or production per hectare," Parsons concluded.
Parsons also highlighted his ambitions to create an economic partnership between New Zealand and the European Union: "New Zealand has been, and continues to be, a good partner to Europe, but is now one of six World Trade Organization (WTO) members that the European Union has not committed to developing an economic partnership with, so we’d like to see progress there – especially as the WTO has 160 members."