An email announcing B+LNZ's refreshed strategy that looks to focus on thriving sheep and beef farmers
was sent to farmers on Wednesday, 10 July. Read the email below.
Over the past few months we’ve been finalising details of our refreshed strategy and on behalf of the B+LNZ Board I’m pleased to officially launch that strategy today.
Our refreshed strategy is not a change in direction – it’s a deliberate refocus to guide B+LNZ’s work towards achieving our vision of thriving sheep and beef farmers now and into the future.
Our main goal is to make sure we’re delivering the tools, resources and support farmers need to thrive, recognising that a strong and sustainable future for our sector requires a solid foundation.
The refreshed strategy has a focus on enhancing and sustaining on-farm productivity and profitability balanced with sound data, research and insights that will help set our sector up for future success.
The strategy is arranged around the following pillars:
Championing Farming Excellence
- We’re increasing investment where famers have told us it matters most, behind the farm-gate, with a commitment to ensuring our work adds value to farmers’ bottom lines.
- This includes ramping up our extension offering, setting up new initiatives focused on small group learning and establishing regional ‘Hub’ farms and partnerships to address local challenges and opportunities.
- Research and innovation remain top priorities, with increased investment in sheep, beef and dairy beef genetics, and in addressing internal parasites and facial eczema.
- We will continue our work attracting, growing and supporting young people in our sector.
Advocacy
- Using our world class data and insights to influence domestic and international conversations, we’ll provide evidence-based policy advice that demonstrates potential impacts on our farming businesses here in NZ and protects our strong trading relationships internationally.
- We’re changing what we do and how we do it in our advocacy efforts, which will focus on issues that impact a farm’s profitability and productivity such as environment, animal welfare, biosecurity and trade.
- We’re committed to representing your views more strongly to the Government, with increased focus on face-to-face engagement with farmers to ensure we develop policy solutions that are genuinely by farmers for farmers.
Energising the Sector
- We’re lifting our work building the trust and reputation of NZ farmers to better tell your stories and celebrate your care of livestock and the environment.
- Processing companies will be taking the lead on Taste Pure Nature, which will allow us to reallocate resources behind the farm gate, however B+LNZ will remain an active support partner.
- Through our data and insights, we’ll be scanning the future to identify opportunities and risks so we can help farmers prepare.
How we got here
- We update our strategy every few years. The refreshed strategy builds on the solid foundation of our previous work but reflects significant changes in the global and domestic operating environment since the strategy was last updated in 2021.
- Importantly, it reflects the feedback you’ve given us, whether at last year’s nationwide feedback sessions, via farmer surveys, through the B+LNZ Farmer Council or other conversations.
What this means for you
- Ultimately this is about supporting you and your farming business. Over the coming months you’ll see us doing some things differently. You’ll also see us providing more information about the impact our work is having and transparency in how we allocate resources.
- You have a chance to talk to us at the upcoming Director roadshow meetings – come along and tell us if you think we’ve got the balance right. More info about the roadshows at www.beeflambnz.com/director-roadshow
Visit the strategy page on our website.