Meat industry relationships improve

Press, 25 September 1987, Page 15

Meat industry relationships improve

A more positive relationship had developed in the last year between farmers and export meat industry interests, according to the Chairman of the New Zealand Meat Industry Association, Mr Joe Ryan. In his annual report, Mr Ryan said that although there would always be a certain constructive tension in the industry’s relationship with fanners, much more of a positive nature could be achieved by co-operation rather than confrontation. He believed that difficulties experienced last year were created mainly by the severe economic pressure on farmers and an incomplete understanding of the efforts companies had been making over a considerable period to reduce costs. “Companies have worked quietly and efficiently over the past few seasons to rework the efficiencies of their operations.

“This has been done at a time when the tide of outside costs and high interest rates has run very definitely against them. There have been some increases in the charges made to farmers for processing, but they have been contained only to a fraction of the total cost increases sustained.”

Mr Ryan said the manner in which all processing companies have gone about reducing process-ing-related costs deserved greater recognition and acknowledgement than it had received.

Mr Ryan complimented the Meat Division of the M.A.F. for the way it had introduced worth-while changes to inspection procedures. These changes, in particular the seasonal employment of meat inspectors, had improved the efficiency and reduced inspection costs to the industry.

However, the correct management and accountability of meat inspectors continued to be a problem, said Mr Ryan. In spite of the lengthy submissions to the Review Committee on State Pay Fixing, the concerns of the industry had not been alleviated.

A joint survey involved with P.S.A., M.A.F. and industry officials had reviewed meat inspectors’ salaries, but in spite of these findings the State Services Commission and the P.S.A. reached a 7 per cent settlement for inspectors in a package which included a further review of their benchmark, achieved only after the threat of industrial disruption.