Best of BusinessDesk: The state of NZ’s red meat sector

Best of BusinessDesk: The state of NZ’s red meat sector
Rare Returns looks at the state of the sector from paddock to processor. (Image: NZME)
Riley Kennedy
This article was originally published on October 12, 2025. New Zealand’s red meat sector is riding a wave of improved farmgate prices and renewed farmer confidence; however, structural challenges, including falling livestock numbers and processor inefficiencies, are forcing a reckoning. In this series, Riley Kennedy looks at the state of the sector from paddock to processor. Driving through Wairarapa on a clear spring day in mid-September, it’s easy to see why NZ’s red meat is held in such high regard overseas. Fresh gras...

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