Food production of natural resources is a goal for Papua New Guinea but attracting a mushroom expert to get started is proving a challenge.  

Volunteer Service Abroad (VSA) is committed to building sustainable communities across the Pacific but has had one particular vacancy for a mushroom cultivator in Papua New Guinea (PNG) unfilled for 252 days and counting.

This is despite reaching out to mushroom businesses across New Zealand who have not, so far, had the capacity to help. 

“So, we’re widening the net and hoping a story in the media might spur a couple of applications,” VSA country programme adviser Ngaire Tihema said.

Bringing in a Kiwi mushroom cultivator for a four- to six-month assignment means the  Daughters of Mary Immaculate (Filae Maria Immaculata, or FMI) congregation of Vunapope, who run a women’s refuge-style facility in PNG, will be able to produce fresh mushrooms for sale.

This will go some way to becoming self-sustaining financially and will also mean that the community has access to locally grown, nutritional mushrooms. 

“In PNG, there is a significant shortage of trained horticulturists who can provide technical support to locals and instead, most farmers rely on traditional knowledge, which is often insufficient to address the modern challenges such as pest control, disease management and seed quality in agriculture,” Tihema said.

“Food security and nutrition in PNG is a major issue and a lot of processed foods are becoming common because many Papua Guineans are not looking at their own food sources or knowing what to do with it,” Tihema said

“Mushrooms grow in the wild here and no one is cultivating them because they don’t know what to do with them.”

Tihema said farming is not seen as a “particularly noble profession” in PNG and young Papua Guineans are turning away from it. 

“Imagine mushrooms from the paddock to the plate and there are plentiful resources of other fruits and vegetables too. 

“We just need more priority for agriculture and that will hopefully come with the focus on increasing awareness of agriculture, food production and getting young people into agriculture.”

The main aim of the Mushroom Cultivation and Production Trainer assignment is to support the FMI Sisters in generating sustainable income for their vital work, which involves providing safe housing and care for women, young people and children in PNG.

The assignment is also designed to enable the trainer to teach and mentor prospective mushroom farmers in the community, helping them understand costs, market dynamics, and the profitability of mushroom sales. 

“By training and mentoring individuals to grow mushrooms locally, we aim to contribute to poverty reduction, economic empowerment, and greater resilience against food insecurity, ultimately enhancing health outcomes and livelihoods.

“Furthermore, mushroom farming promotes skill development within the community, enabling farmers to adopt sustainable cultivation methods that encourage co-operation, development, and inclusive, shared economic growth.”

In areas where diets are primarily composed of staple crops and ultra-processed foods, mushrooms offer a nutrient-rich alternative that helps diversify local food sources and reduces dependency on imported items. 

Currently, mushrooms are imported and retail between 80 and 100 kina ($32-$40) a kilogram.

If you are an experienced professional in mushroom cultivation, looking for an extraordinary overseas experience in the Pacific to build into your field of expertise then, Tihema said, “we have an exciting opportunity in store for you”.

The FMI Sisters’ tradition of selfless service began more than 100 years ago. Since 1912 the FMI Sisters have demonstrated steadfast resolve to support women and communities in pursuit of a better society.

The VSA assignment is a partnership between VSA and the FMI of Vunapope. 

All volunteers are flown in and out of the country, accommodated, and paid a living allowance.

To change your scene and become a VSA Volunteer and share your experience, knowledge, and skills to transform the lives of many, email volunteer@vsa.org.nz or or visit the website.

In Focus Podcast | Sheep outlook: the future of our flock

Sheep farmers are doing it tough right now, with farmgate returns dropping back after a few good years and input costs rising. Add to that the march of pine trees across the land, and there’s talk of an existential crisis. Bryan asked AgriHQ senior analyst Mel Croad to give him the lay of the land and asked her what the sector needed to do to find prosperity again.

Maize growers are playing a waiting game regarding their planting intentions for this spring after a difficult past season marred by low prices and falling demand.

Waikato Federated Farmers arable chair Don Stobie described those intentions as “the $64,000 question”.

“A lot of them are stepping back and having a deep think about what they are going to do going forward. A lot of growers at the moment are saying they are going to reduce their planting intentions for the coming season.

“The other thing they are talking about is any ground they do plant, they are wanting a contract on for the crop.”

This will give them surety of price at harvest time because so many got badly burned last season from the low price and lack of demand, he said.

Corson Maize national business manager Graeme Austin described the silage industry as static and the grain industry as hesitant.

“There are a whole lot of things happening, they are not sure about contract prices yet, so end users haven’t committed to contract amounts and growers are waiting to hear what contract prices will be.”

The other issue at play is the shortage of natural gas, which companies such as Vittera use to fuel their maize grain dryers, he said.

The contracts these companies for gas have ceased, meaning they will have to purchase the gas on the open market.

“The likelihood is there will be gas available, but we don’t know what the price will be.”

Stobie said the early spring will have little impact on planting dates as farmers are wary of an early spring cold snap that could affect a freshly planted or emerging crop.

“Growers will be wanting some surety that someone is going to want their crop later on. I wouldn’t envisage that there will be many people growing without a contract this season.”

One positive for the maize growers is they could benefit from Fonterra and Nestlé’s push to reduce Scope 3 emissions, he said.

“Maize grain has a very good emission intensity rating compared to palm kernel and currently we import around 2 million tonnes of palm kernel into New Zealand. If they reduced that by even 10%, that would be potentially 20,000t of grain farmers could swap to using.”

The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi has spoken out against the government for failing to bring a plan to the table to save around 300 jobs in the Ruapehu district, following Winstone Pulp International’s decision to close two mills. 

Hundreds of people are set to lose their jobs after Winstone Pulp, one of the Central North Island’s biggest employers, announced this week it will be pulling the plug on the Karioi pulp mill and the Tangiwai sawmill for good.

NZCTU president Richard Wagstaff said the mill closures will be devastating for the Ruapehu district, which is already dealing with high unemployment and a lack of opportunities. 

“Our hearts go out to all the workers who have lost their jobs, and we stand in solidarity with them at this terribly difficult time.

“Government has a responsibility to keep rural communities alive by supporting regional economic development and stepping in to show leadership when critical industries are struggling. Writing off whole communities is simply unacceptable.” 

In recent weeks, the company had been meeting with energy company Mercury and government ministers to find a way to keep the mills open.

But the company made the call on Tuesday, September 10, to close the mills, blaming unsustainable spot energy prices.

Responding to the news of the closures, Octopus Energy said that New Zealand’s prolonged high electricity prices necessitate urgent regulatory changes for increased market competition and improved investment.

“The Electricity Authority has been warned for years by industry and exporters that market arrangements have made electricity uncompetitive and prices too high for our productive sector,” Octopus Energy chief operating officer Margaret Cooney said.

She said New Zealand urgently needs more competition and regulatory change to support better competition and investment in generation.

“We have been experiencing sustained high prices in New Zealand for almost six years. The way forward is not to simply hope for more rain in our lakes, or to import LNG. This is simply not enough to address the underlying challenge of continuing high prices.

 “It is absolutely essential that the current review into the electricity market provides real action rather than deferring change.

She said she can’t imagine the amount of stress and upheaval for all the families and communities that are being impacted by the closure of these mills.

Wagstaff said the government had the power to keep the mill alive by creating a plan for power price stability, but it failed to deliver.

“Local manufacturing plays an important role in our regional economies and that needs to be protected into the future. It is the role of government to guarantee this by implementing employment, regional development and Just Transition strategies that prioritise job creation and protection in rural communities,” he said.

“Everyone deserves good work that is secure and pays well, regardless of where they live. This decision shows we have a long way to go to make that a reality.”

Given dairy earns New Zealand $26 billion a year in exports, it baffles Bex Green why farmers have to jump through so many hoops to secure suitable staff. 

“It’s well-proven that, in many rural areas, there aren’t enough willing and suitable Kiwis to fill dairy farm roles. That’s not going to change in the foreseeable future. 

“But farmers desperate to plug workforce gaps have to grapple with unnecessary costs, delays and bureaucracy to bring in migrant workers,” says Green, Federated Farmers North Canterbury senior vice-president and dairy chair. 

“Lengthy vacancies are taking a huge toll on farmers’ mental health, team rosters and production efficiency.” 

Green, who farms in Culverden, was recently named Federated Farmers’ Dairy Advocate of the Year for speaking out on these sorts of issues. 

She says Federated Farmers was grateful when Immigration Minister Erica Stanford made urgent changes to immigration rules to help relieve pressure on dairy farmers this calving season.  

“We welcomed those concessions, but the reality is they’re band aids when the whole system needs surgery,” Green says. 

“We can’t stumble along season by season with this uncertainty over our workforce. 

“Our sector is looking for long-term, practical solutions.” 

Still unexplained, Green says, is the “gobsmacking” hike in Immigration New Zealand’s fee for an Accredited Employer Work Visa, from $750 to $1560.   

Green is now on the Federated Farmers national dairy executive and says getting in the room with officials to thrash out practical, stable migrant worker policy settings is a top priority.  

“That includes ditching the onerous requirement that a dairy worker from overseas, who may have little or no farm experience, must be paid the median wage.” 

Green’s work fighting for farmers is what earned her the Advocate of the Year award, says Richard McIntyre, Federated Farmers national dairy chair. 

“Bex is one of those people who actually gets stuff done.  

“She sees the challenges farmers are facing and she feeds those concerns up to us in the dairy executive so we can advocate strongly with decision-makers.  

“She’s incredibly good at speaking up for farmers around her – both in her district and wider – on immigration and other issues like challenges around non-replacement calves.”  

McIntyre says Green isn’t someone to appear a lot in the media, but her work behind the scenes is exemplary. 

“She’s a real dairy leader and she’s going to go a long way in Feds.” 

Green and husband Blair contract milk 1000 cows and own 10% of the herd. 

As essentially first-generation farmers, without family land to fall back on, the couple hope to move from contract milking to sharemilking or an equity arrangement. 

“I’ve found in Canterbury that there’s a lot more corporate farms, and you’ve got to forge the right relationship with the right farmer to help you progress,” Green says.  

“The key is a relationship that benefits both parties. That’s the way to move forward.” 

Aside from her focus on farmer advocacy, Green’s a big believer in having interests off the farm.  

“I think it makes you a better partner and parent.” 

In recent years, since she and Blair moved from Cheviot to Culverden, one of her main off-farm activities has been road cycling.  

“I came under the wing of a multi-sport trainer and progressed from regarding bunch riding as a scary thing, to absolutely loving it.” 

In February this year her team competed in the iconic Coast to Coast and won their open mixed category. Blair kayaked, a fellow farmer completed the run over the mountain range, and Green cycled 140km. 

She says she felt part of the Federated Farmers “family” more or less as soon as she joined five years ago.   

She’d met Tyler and Wayne Langford through the Dairy Women’s Network and put her hand up for a seat on the North Canterbury executive when there was a vacancy. 

Green is relishing the networking and support Federated Farmers offers, and the opportunities to get stuck into relevant issues. 

“It takes you outside of your farm and business to do something for your community and wider district. 

“You’ve got to have a strong voice and I certainly don’t mind using mine to help fellow farmers.”  

Federated Farmers, New Zealand’s leading independent rural advocacy organisation, has established a news and insights partnership with AgriHQ, the country’s leading rural publisher, to give the farmers of New Zealand a more informed, united and stronger voice. Federated Farmers news and commentary appears each week in its own section of the Farmers Weekly print edition and online.

In Focus Podcast |  Pests a problem on the farm

A survey by Federated Farmers reveals its members are spending big money on pest control but are barely making any headway. And, as its pest control spokesperson, Richard McIntyre says having the Department of Conservation as a neighbour only makes the fight harder.

The veterinary industry needs support to retain staff as work pressure forces many out before retirement.

Pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim has  published research showing fewer than half of veterinarians intend to stay in the profession until retirement. 

The report, Taking animal health forward, showed that from more than 600 veterinary professionals surveyed across New Zealand, only 40% of vets and 26% of vet nurses expected to remain in the profession until retirement. 

“Burnout and mental health pressures are driving many out of the field –  43% of clinic decision-makers report difficulties in hiring skilled staff,” the report says. 

Staff shortages, insufficient investment in training, lower wages than other sectors and a misconception of the value of veterinary services are other woes the sector faces, the study says.

The head of NZ animal health at Boehringer Ingelheim, Paul Fitzpatrick, said vets protect the agriculture industry.

“By 2025 export revenues are expected to reach $58 billion. The strength of the domestic economy depends largely on the health and welfare of our production animal population.”

Salaries in vet services are well below those in human health, the report shows.

Nurses in human health start on a base salary of $70,000 or above, rising to around $163,000.

“Veterinary nurses often earn barely above the minimum wage, equating to around $54,000 for a full-time position.”

The report calls for legislation to enable allied veterinary professionals (AVPs) to take on more skilled work.

The president of the New Zealand Veterinary Nursing Association, Laura Harvey, said globally AVPs take on new roles and responsibilities. 

“Regulation of AVPs in Aotearoa is one way we could help relieve the ongoing staffing shortage. Robust legislation may give workplaces the confidence to fully embrace the skills that vet nurses and vet technicians bring to the table,” Harvey said.

Around 70% of animal health practitioners believe the scope of their work is not well understood.

“Many rural veterinarians are performing a consultancy role on behalf of farming clients, such as how to improve fertility and growth, advice on breeding and selecting alternatives for certain geographies, and much more,” Harvey said.

Kevin Bryant, CEO of the New Zealand Veterinary Association, said fully leveraging the knowledge of vet professionals to support business growth is an untapped opportunity. 

“We’ll spend hundreds on our own dental work, but a similar veterinary treatment, which requires similar skill and equipment, is considered too expensive, even at much lower cost.”

The study shows only 44% of clinic decision-makers have a succession plan.

Clinic owners and management should be looking for other opportunities to offer career development to members of the team who might be willing to step up, Bryant said.

General manager for farming excellence at Beef + Lamb NZ Dan Brier said vets and animal health experts play a pivotal role in clinics and on farms, but also in producer and meatworks locations. 

“These roles are often overlooked by new graduates, but they are key to the ongoing profitability of our agriculture sector.”

Professor Jon Huxley, the head of Massey University’s Tāwharau Ora, the School of Veterinary Science, said veterinary science is not funded to the level it needs to be to address the shortage of professionals in the industry. 

“We receive about 300 applications from domestic students every year, but the government constraints mean we are only able to take on 125 students.”

More than 600 people from across New Zealand’s horticulture sector are expected in Mount Maunganui later this month for a joint Horticulture and Recognised Seasonal Employer Conference.

The event, at Mercury Baypark on August 28-30, will see growers, industry groups, sector leaders and supply chain partners discuss pressing issues, challenges and opportunities.

The joint conference is hosted by Horticulture New Zealand, which represents more than 4500 growers across New Zealand.

HortNZ chief executive Nadine Tunley said this year’s conferences will focus on providing a platform for the industry to share stories, ideas and inspiration that are aligned with the Aotearoa Horticulture Action Plan.

“The event is one of the highlights of the horticulture calendar and we’re looking forward to some great discussions and insights.”

Two conference programmes – the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) Conference and Horticulture Conference – have been merged into one to bring three days of presentations, speakers and content.

The programme of speakers includes Nicola Grigg, Associate Minister of Agriculture (Horticulture), Erica Stanford, Minister of Immigration and Rachel Depree, executive officer for sustainability at Zespri. Adventurer and environmental scientist Tim Jarvis is this year’s celebrity speaker.

Gareth Edgecombe, CEO of T&G Global, Andrew Watene, head of KPMG Propagate and Simon Limmer, CEO of Indevin, are also on the programme.

 The gala dinner and awards will be held on Thursday evening. HortNZ will present awards to recognise outstanding contributions and achievement in New Zealand’s commercial fruit and vegetable growing industry.

Adjustments to the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme, including removing the 10% wage premium paid to workers, have been welcomed by the horticultural sector.

The latest changes also include a lift in worker numbers for the coming season, with an additional 1250 staff taking the total to 20,750. 

Other key changes to the scheme include the lifting of the requirement to pay Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) workers a 10% wage premium above the minimum wage. This will now only apply to experienced workers.

Employers will be able to average out workers’ minimum 30 hours a week over four weeks, while the pause on accommodation cost increases has been lifted and allows a capped increase to be applied.

The accommodation and remuneration changes were particularly welcomed by Horticulture NZ CEO Nadine Tunley.

“These were only bought in by the previous government as temporary measures during covid when RSE workers were able to come to NZ under managed isolation and quarantine. The reset will be appreciated by growers.”

Meantime, averaging out RSE workers’ minimum 30 hours a week over four weeks provides more certainty for them, and better reflects the weather-dependent nature of the seasonal jobs they undertake.

The 10% premium had reflected the shortage of staff and difficulties recruiting New Zealanders, particularly post covid. 

Tunley said a pay disparity had developed between NZ works and RSE workers, even when the job’s skills were not at the “median skill” level.

Growers will also welcome the improved flexibility for RSE workers to return home in the event of family emergencies, and the ability to move among regions and employers more easily.

Tunley said the sector supports hiring New Zealanders first, but to reach its potential attracting and retaining motivated staff from here and overseas is critical.

“The RSE scheme will continue to play a critical role in this.”
The cap on accommodation costs had meant growers endured five years of inflation without being able to recoup any of those increases, and the removal of the accommodation cap will go a long way in to helping to address this, she said.

NZ Apples and Pears CEO Karen Morrish welcomed the changes coming before the new season kicks off. She said the changes strike a balance between local industry and Pacific Island communities’ needs.

“It will have considerable impact upon the continued viability of the scheme.”

Allowable numbers on the RSE scheme have been steadily rising since its inaugural season in 2007-2008 when just over 4000 workers came to NZ from largely Pacific Island nations.  

This number climbed steadily through to over 12,000 prior to covid, before plummeting to 2000 workers who remained over the pandemic during the 2020-21 season.

Meat processing capacity has been relatively stable for a couple of decades, so there will be much interest in news this week that up to 75 meat workers in Oamaru could lose their jobs.

Despite the continual erosion of sheep numbers in particular, there hasn’t been a corresponding reduction in processing capacity due in part to productivity improvements.

But as BX Foods, also known as Oamaru Meats, has found, the decline in stock numbers is starting to bite.

The company is not speaking publicly but the New Zealand Meat Workers Union says that a shortage of stock is behind the staff layoffs.

The last export plant to close was Silver Fern Farms when it shut its Fairton works near Ashburton in May 2017 with the loss of 370 jobs.

At the time SFF noted that in 2010 Fairton had processed more than 1 million lambs but by 2016 that had halved, and had then fallen further, to 325,000 lambs in 2017.

The regions are littered with closed plants, but three periods stand out for the size and scale of the closures.

In the late 1980s the exit of Waitaki International meant the closure of Islington and Burnside and in 1991 Ocean Beach and Kaiapoi closed while Mataura and Makarewa were scaled back.

In 1994 the collapse of Weddel took out plants in Tomoana, Feilding, Aotearoa, Whangārei and Kaiti.

There were subsequent chain closures, but for much of the past 20 years productivity gains and shifting supply patterns to a more year-round flow have provided some insulation amid the continual decline in animal numbers.

Then forestry companies started shopping for land.

Since 2017 an estimated 175,000 hectares of sheep and beef farmland has been planted in trees, with Beef + Lamb NZ calculating this has removed about 1 million stock units, primarily breeding ewes and cows.

Estimates of breeding ewes are that they have fallen from 17.1 million in 2018 to 14.8 million last year, and beef cows and heifers from 1 million to 989,000 over the same period.

NZ breeding ewe numbers are now comparable with those in the United Kingdom.

Compared to four seasons ago, the annual lamb kill has declined by about 1 million, a not insignificant number that must impact processing capacity.

The challenge is how they will respond and which company will move first.
The social and emotional issues of people losing their jobs aside, plant closures are also costly and the loss of geographic advantage is another factor to be considered.

Land use change is driven by economic considerations: willing seller, willing buyer and an assessment of the best returns on investment.

But as we have seen this year, it can have unintended consequences.

Lower lamb numbers and weak pricing earlier in the season have disrupted the  normal winter prime stock flow, with the lamb kill down 30-40% compared to last year.

Ominously, NZ’s erosion of lamb numbers could see us lose to Australia our influential position as it becomes the dominant supplier to many markets.

For decades NZ has been the market leader by virtue of the volumes exported, but Australia has now overtaken us and we could be exposed more to the pressures of Australian pricing.

Economic reality can be cruel but you cannot argue with basic arithmetic, and that is the brutal truth facing the meat industry.

In Focus Podcast | Meat processors take stock as flock numbers fall

Senior reporter Neal Wallace says there are big challenges ahead for the red meat sector as it grapples with lower stock numbers and over-capacity. One processor in Oamaru has already laid off staff and Neal says there may be more rationalisation to come. 

He also discusses the ongoing push to get more rural GPs trained and working in our communities.

Urgent changes to immigration rules will help relieve some of the pressure on short-staffed dairy farmers this calving season, Federated Farmers say.

Richard McIntyre, the organisation’s immigration spokesperson, says getting staff on-farm has been a massive challenge for farmers this season, especially those in the thick of calving.

“We’ve been working closely with the Minister of Immigration and Immigration NZ to find ways to ease some of that stress and prevent animal welfare issues during calving.

“I’m really pleased our advocacy has paid off, with the Minister agreeing to some limited exceptions for existing visa applications where the applicant is already onshore, which should help them get on-farm as soon as possible.

“This will offer a pressure release for our farming families and businesses.” 

Dairy farm workers who have already submitted their visa applications will be temporarily exempt from the requirements to meet the minimum skills threshold, have relevant prior experience, and meet a minimum standard of English.

This will apply to applicants for a Dairy Cattle Farm Worker (ANZSCO code 841512) role who were in New Zealand on 2 August 2024, applied for an AEWV between 7 April to 2 August, and have not had their application decided.  

Minister Standford has also agreed to extend priority processing for dairy farm worker and dairy farmer applications until 1 September.

“Federated Farmers went to Government with some very serious concerns about farmer wellbeing, health and safety, and animal welfare this season,” McIntyre says.

“When farmers are short-staffed, it puts a huge amount of pressure not only on them personally, but also their family and farm teams.

“To the Minister’s credit, she’s taken the time to listen, she’s understood the issues, and she’s moved quickly to address them.”

It’s estimated there are more than 140 migrant dairy workers with pending visa applications already on our shores, who should now be able to be cleared for work.

With Immigration NZ staff swamped by up to 80,000 visa applications to process each month, giving dairy visa applications priority until September 1 is important. 

“These changes should relieve some of that immediate pressure people have been feeling and get us through the bulk of South Island calving,” McIntyre says. 

“They’re a very positive step, but I’m incredibly conscious that they’re only a band-aid solution to see us through the current crisis.”

He says Federated Farmers will now turn their attention to some of the longer-term challenges with the immigration system. 

“The risk is that if we don’t move quickly to address the bigger systemic issues with immigration, we will find ourselves back in this exact same situation next year.”

In April, dairy farmers who had submitted or were about to submit visa applications were caught out by sudden changes to the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV). 

The new rules required employers seeking to hire migrants in ANZSCO level 4 and 5 roles to advertise those roles for 21 days, and to list roles with Work and Income so local jobseekers could apply.  

All migrant applicants faced a new minimum skills requirement, to meet a minimum standard of English language if applying for an ANZSCO skill level 4 or 5 role.

Federated Farmers went in to bat for farmers, which saw the Government agree to reduce the standard advertising period from 21 days to 14, and to give priority to dairy visa processing.

“Those out-of-the-blue rule changes in April came as a very unwelcome surprise to farm employers who already had visa applications in the pipeline,” McIntyre says.

“Whatever longer-term settings are agreed, farmers need some certainty.”

Federated Farmers’ July Farm Confidence Survey showed recruiting skilled and motivated staff is the hardest in more than a decade, with the ability to recruit now sitting at the lowest level since July 2012.

“It’s simply not good enough for New Zealand’s largest export earner to be scrambling to fill roles,” McIntyre says. 

“Of course we’d love to be hiring more Kiwis, but we’ve also got to be realistic about this. It’s hard to attract people to live in some of our more remote communities. 

“Farmers expect to see efficient, practical – and most of all, stable – immigration settings that recognise this.”

Federated Farmers, New Zealand’s leading independent rural advocacy organisation, has established a news and insights partnership with AgriHQ, the country’s leading rural publisher, to give the farmers of New Zealand a more informed, united and stronger voice. Federated Farmers news and commentary appears each week in its own section of the Farmers Weekly print edition and online.

Lean Meats Oamaru has reduced the number of proposed job losses from an initial toll of close to 100 to 65 after discussions with workers.

New Zealand Meat Workers Union national secretary Daryl Curran said the employers have also agreed to extend by two days the two-week period of consultation before a final decision on job losses is made at the plant, which processes ovine, goats and bobby calves.

Chinese-owned BX Foods operates the Oamaru plant.

BX Food managing director, Haoran Wang says the restructuring comes after a difficult 18 months and is needed to ensure the long term sustainability of the business.

Following consultation with employees and engagement with the NZ Meat Workers Union, it is proposed to shed 65 jobs, more than 20 less than initially proposed.

“We understand that this restructuring will affect not only our employees but also their families.”

Wang says he has been heartened by the number of local and regional businesses who have offered roles to impacted employees. 

Curran said recent capital expenditure and reduced stock numbers has caused the company to cut costs.

About half those who will potentially lose their jobs are migrants on work visas, attracted here by the promise of three years’ employment.

Sorting out their status and their visas will be complicated, he said.

Immigration NZ and Work and Income NZ will be on site in the coming weeks to assist those workers who may lose their jobs.

In Focus Podcast | Meat processors take stock as flock numbers fall

Senior reporter Neal Wallace says there are big challenges ahead for the red meat sector as it grapples with lower stock numbers and over-capacity. One processor in Oamaru has already laid off staff and Neal says there may be more rationalisation to come. 

He also discusses the ongoing push to get more rural GPs trained and working in our communities.