Expect no real drop in prices for New Zealand red meat over spring, says John Clarke, specialist resource writer for grill and FMCG magazines. He highlights developments and consumer product trends for this season’s meat supply in the latest issue of FMCG.
Sheepmeat: All schedules are still high and on an upward spiral.
Beef: Most beef chains have been closed for winter maintenance but there will be improved throughput from now on, hopefully. Local trade prices for beef are high and still climbing driven by overseas trends; mainly the US market and figures coming out of the US last month showed prices would remain strong well into the future, perhaps three to five years. The reason: America’s cattle herd dwindled to 100.8m head as of the start of the month, down 1.2% year on year and the lowest July 1 figure on record. The beef herd fell by 2% which may not sound like much but equates to 31.7m animals. This is a decline which looks unlikely to reverse given that US farmers show no inclination to increase stock numbers. What all this means for us is that export beef will be in high demand so we can expect to pay high prices in the foreseeable future.
For all that our grass fed beef is the best in the world and is worth every damn penny we have to pay for it. Want a good example – check out Harmony Food’s organic free-range beef range.
Cervena: Kill estimates for the year are well back and not predicted to pick up until 2012 when hopefully increasing hind numbers will have produced killable offspring from the previous year. So, with short supplies predicted, the traditional summer fall in prices may just not happen.
Veal: The bright spot for meat from hoofed animals and the best value for money at this time of year though it does have a very short fresh season; only months, so make the best of it. The large number of dry stock farms converting to dairy has had the positive effect, for our industry; that of putting a lot more veal products into the marketplace giving us good supply and softer prices.
The dairy industry produces 2.5 million bobby calves per year and most of them are turned into veal mince, but a good number are finished for white veal and a new product Rose veal. This is a gourmet product, the result of five months of fattening calves, giving smallish succulent primal cuts such as racks, shortloins, scotch filets etc. It is very juicy and so tender that even lesser cuts such as topside are also suitable for fast cooking methods. Keep an eye out for this veal as it will be available for the first time later this spring.
Pork: Freedom Farms offers what is described as ‘Free Farmed’ New Zealand pork – a consistent and excellent product. Their pork products are all SPCA certified and guaranteed to come from very happy pigs. With all the noise about pig welfare at the moment, more and more customers are looking to this type of product.
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