Industry puts safety first
AUCKLAND: New Zealand’s meat sector is developing a sectorwide protocol to ensure it operates in a manner that does not endanger people’s health and safety, Meat Industry Association chief executive Tim Ritchie said.
Mr Ritchie said it was a privilege to be considered an essential service but also a ‘‘significant responsibility’’.
New Zealand moved to a Level 4 response at midnight last night, after which all services, except for those deemed essential, will close for at least four weeks.
Mr Ritchie said the meat sector had come together to develop a protocol that could be applied at every level to ensure that all plants and operations were meeting Ministry for Primary Industries requirements.
MPI has set up a registration process so all operations adhere to strict rules to ensure they do not contribute to the spread of Covid19.
‘‘MPI requires safety assurances from operators that their processes protect workers and the public by limiting interactions between staff,’’ directorgeneral Ray Smith said.
Mr Ritchie said the meat sector protocol would be monitored to ensure accountability.
The sector’s responsibility is twofold. It contributes to ensuring there is enough food for people to eat domestically, and will also keep exports heading to the 120 markets the sector supplies, as ‘‘we will need those export dollars,’’ he said.
The sector employs about 25,000 people and the objective is to keep plants ‘‘operating as close to normal as possible,’’ in particular in the light of animal welfare priorities. Farmer welfare is also top of mind, he said.
The aim is to avoid a situation where a farmer, who may not have enough feed, cannot process his or her animals.
‘‘We don’t want to put people in that position.’’
Individual companies have been developing their own plans for weeks, but the sectorwide protocol has ‘‘really happened in recent days,’’ he said.
That protocol includes a variety of things to ensure worker safety throughout the supply chain and companies will have contingency plans in the event of any shutdowns due to exposure to the virus.
Mr Ritchie said the sector was used to being agile and pointed to a period earlier this year when there were long waiting lists to get animals into plants because of the drought in Northland.
‘‘That was alleviated by shifting animals south,’’ he said. Large meat processors have plants throughout the country, he said but, importantly, there will be close cooperation between companies in the event that a processor runs into difficulties.
‘‘Any differences or issues get set aside in times like these,’’ he said.
Mr Ritchie also said that exports into China are moving again after the outbreak of covid19 triggered a significant slowdown.
While China is the sector’s biggest market, it was not the only one, he said.
Exporters were quick to diversify into the other 119 markets that New Zealand supplies and, while they may not have received the same price, they kept product moving, he said.
Mr Ritchie said there had been a tremendous runup in meat prices over the past 12 months, due to the impact of the African swine fever in China.
Those corrected in December and then the extended Chinese New Year — and slowdown — due to Covid19 also hit prices.
Things are now moving to a ‘‘more balanced position’’ he said, noting that compared with 12 months ago, prices were still good.
He expected pricing to improve in the medium term, especially when the global impact from Covid19 begins to dissipate, because the shortage caused by the African swine fever has not gone away and Chinese buyers will be looking for protein.
Mr Ritchie said product was getting into the US, despite the fastspreading virus. While there might be temporary holdups ‘‘things are getting through’’, he said.
According to preliminary data from Stats NZ, total meat exports rose $46 million between February 1 and March 18.
Meat exports to China fell 37%, or $183 million, while meat exports to the US lifted 34%, or $83 million.
Stats NZ said the data was provisional and should be regarded as an early, indicative estimate of intentions to trade only, subject to revision. It compares trade from February 1 to March 18 against previous years, which allows for an estimate to be made of what may have happened to trade, if it had followed typical patterns.