Over 100 farmers and agribusiness professionals gathered in Blenheim last week for an annual dinner hosted by B+LNZ’s Marlborough Farming for Profit committee.
The dinner was a welcome night out for many in Marlborough and the keynote speakers, North Canterbury farmers Jim and Kim Burrows and Rabobank’s Senior Analyst for Animal Protein, Jen Corkran, shone a positive light on the sheep and beef sector.
Jim and Kim Burrows outlined how they started with little more than a can-do attitude and financial savvy to build a 1570ha sheep and beef business across two farms. Their main driver is to build multi-generational opportunities starting with their two children.
While Jim’s parents have been particularly supportive of the couple, Jim and Kim run a very tight ship, focusing on cashflow and maximising production while minimising costs. (See a more detailed story in next week’s e.diary).
Jen Corkran painted a rosy outlook for both sheep and beef despite uncertain trade conditions.
She said globally, lamb supplies were low while demand was strong, particularly from Europe, although China remained an important volume market for New Zealand. Competition from Australia was declining and all of these factors, coupled with a weaker NZ dollar, meant sheep farmers could enjoy above five-year average pricing in the 2025/26 season.
“Diversity of export markets and improved global demand is helping export returns, particularly from high-value markets,” says Corkran.
She expects the record-breaking run for beef to continue, driven by the US. While export volumes from NZ were down 5%, export value was up 15% and this upward pricing trend looked set to carry on.
Other speakers at the event included Dr Robyn Dynes, who reflected on her career as an agricultural scientist working in Australia and New Zealand, and Richard Gorman and Marlborough Farmer of the Year Steve Satterthwaite who took the opportunity to launch this year’s Marlborough Farmer of the Year competition.
Alan Thomson, B+LNZ’s CEO, reflected on his eight months in the role and his priorities within the levy-funded organisation.
As part of flood response in the Tasman region, B+LNZ’s Eastern North Island Extension Manager, Lesley Coppell helped out at an emergency fencing supplies pop-up set up by local firm Repost. The company, which won the Gallagher Innovative Farming Award at the 2024 B+LNZ Awards, recycle vineyard posts, turning them into low-cost fence posts.
Coppell says she saw the pop-up as an opportunity to connect with flood affected farmers and drew on Pip Cameron at What's for Smoko who sent up baking from her South Canterbury community to augment the meals provided by the Big Bake Up and Motueka School.
Coppell, along with B+LNZ Northern South Island Farmer Councillor Rueben Moore, the local Young Farmers Club, the Rural Support Trust and ANZ (who provided the bbq at the pop-up) supported farmers at the pop-up with fencing gear, food and advice on what help banks were offering flood affected farmers and who to talk to.
Coppell says if farmers register with the Rural Support Trust, they will be eligible for free fencing gear and to-date, over 80 farmers have been set up with around 5,000 free posts (funded by Repost, the local council and donations). Other gear (wire, staples, insulators strainers etc) has been provided at cost by suppliers.
She adds that the next challenge will be helping farmers with fencing, particularly older farmers, and there will likely be working bees to help farmers get fences in place heading into spring.