New Zealand farmers have issued a resounding vote of confidence in their levy-funded beef and lamb promotion board, simply named Beef+Lamb New Zealand.

In a referendum where farmers were given the choice on whether or not to continue funding the organisation, sheep farmers voted by 89% in favour on a one farmer one vote basis, while beef farmers voted by 88%.

The vote in favour on a weighted stock united was slightly higher – 92% of sheep farmers and 89.4% of beef farmers, when adjusted to reflect the numbers of livestock owned by farmers.

A total of 5,295 farmers voted, almost 35% of the farmers that were eligible to vote. There was also a vote on increasing the sheepmeat levy from 70NZc to 75NZc (41c to 44c), which was carried with 68% in favour.

The vote takes place every six years and compared with 2015, the vote in favour of retaining Beef+Lamb NZ increased by 4% for both sheep and beef farmers, though the turnout was down from 38% in 2015.

This is a resounding endorsement of the work done by the organisation to promote and support NZ beef and lamb in international markets.

China is now the main export market for NZ sheepmeat, followed by the EU, the US and Canada.

For the 607,000t of beef exported between October 2020 and May 2021, almost half, just under 300,000t, went to China, 130,000t went to the US, and the remainder went o other Asian, Middle Eastern and North American markets.

Prices for NZ sheepmeat on 3 July were the equivalent of €4.89/kg (Bord Bia) and €3.38/kg for beef (NZ Farmers Weekly).