IN TH IS ED ITI ON
Bulletin SPRING 2022 EDITION
FOOTSTEPS TO THE FUTURE
+ MORRINSVILLE UPDATE + RESTORE UPDATE + GREG’S COLUMN
On a long stretch of gravel Called Kirikiriroa Seven bridges now span Where once stood a Moa
During the past three months, we have been meeting with many of our farmer suppliers. The purpose of these meetings has been to assist with farm environment plans and carbon footprints, and I am pleased to say that the subsequent workshops have been very well attended. Feedback suggests that many have been surprised to learn that their ‘number’ is not as high as they thought it would be and that most can achieve a significant reduction without destocking. While there are challenges ahead, these are not insurmountable and by working together we can ensure our sector continues to prosper. Greenlea is doing the same, and by knowing our number, we have been able to set targets to lower our own carbon footprint. We plan to continue supporting our farmers and this includes sharing any market driven benefits along the way. See you at Fieldays!
My Whenua - My Wai Groans Aotearoa Then out of the fog Comes He Waka Eke Noa With footprints of carbon To make warming slower And Methane targets Grinding us lower Our Beef - Our Lamb Making sense of a new tomorra With Ahuarangi respected And Matiriki shining - Te Aroha Noa He Tangata – our Farmers Greenlea is proud to know ya
GREENLEA.CO.NZ
MORRINSVILLE UPDATE Stage 1 of the Morrinsville site development is largely complete. The Cooltec tunnel is now in full swing, commissioned, and looking the part. It is ready for the new season’s bull run towards the end of the year. The system completely removes the physical task of manual handling in the cold chain. Staff are now honing their respective skills to match the latest automation as opposed to heading off to the gym to keep match fit for the hard graft of manual racking and sorting of thousands of 60-pound blocks of frozen meat. Stage 2 - The boning room upgrade will see the removal of a previous Greenlea world first application. The world’s first ever “hot boning” Marel system will be removed after 12 years of service, as the Marel system’s capacity in its current form will not match the future complexities and vision for the plant. A new custom boning layout has been designed in-house and boasts New Zealand
GREG’S CO LU M N It is always interesting to see who reads your article in the Bulletin. The prediction that we would break the seven-dollar barrier appears destined to occur, for prime at any rate, and certainly has resulted in some interesting feedback. That comment had a few suppliers on the phone, with some mistaking prediction for guarantee, and others trying to book space for September. Pretty sure Jack, our CFO, was quietly thinking he’ll need to get the censors in for any further publications out of the livestock office. We have completed our supplier meetings for this season. It has been beneficial for our Managing Director, Tony Egan, to get in front of farmers and engage in meaningful one on ones while sharing a steak sandwich and beer after the more formal part of the day. As we approach the first major milestone in the Agri industries carbon management journey, know your carbon emissions number by Dec 31st, 2022, it is clear the red meat industry GREENLEA.CO.NZ
made and manufactured innovative conveyors and machinery, carrying forward some of the ergonomic gains from the Marel, whilst addressing some previous bottle necks. Stage 2 will see the room layout fit for purpose and ready for Stage 3. Stage 3 is yet to be revealed but promises to be another innovation that the Greenlea team will be proud to call their own ... watch this space! By Aaron Craig Operations Manager
has plenty to do. Greenlea is committed to assisting farmers. If you or others in your local area need assistance to know your number, contact your local Greenlea agent to organize a Green House Gas and/or Farmplan workshop. The Industry is certainly going through a period of change; a lot of it cultural. I find conversations with our suppliers turning to different ways of doing things they have done the same way for a long time. Farmers are aware of the need to adapt to be prepared for the changes coming to maintain and grow functionality and profitability. A difference the Greenlea buying team is seeing this season is how heavier store cattle have become a premium product as replacements. Dry stock farmers are looking to minimize risk by stocking up with short term cattle. Another example of change has been the number of empties and lower end cows that dairy farmers have milked right through until their calving cows re-enter the herd. This has elongated our cow kill right through until late July for 2 seasons running now. It’s getting to that time of the year. If the weather plays along, the grass grows and the cattle put on weight. Continued on page 3...
Join us again at Fieldays! We'll be in our usual spot on F Street. November 30 – December 3, 2022.
Continued from page 2... And the beef & bull farmers ask the inevitable question, do we look to gain more weight or take advantage of the available processing space at this time of year? From my point of view, we need cattle in September and October. From November through January there are more than enough cattle to fill our hooks. During the peak our hooks are filled by someone, however I have told the Greenlea buyers to focus on those hooks being filled by cattle whose mates came in July – October or are still coming in April, May & June. An expectation that cattle can be processed in the November to January period only is fast becoming a thing of the past. The way farms are being run, seasonal weather changes, and a greater desire by processors to partner with suppliers is driving change. We are also seeing higher schedules in the August-October period to draw cattle out of the log jam of Nov-January. We can’t all change of course. Grass based systems are just that and certain areas can only finish cattle at certain times. But what I would like is for suppliers to see that Greenlea want to work with you to ease the capacity issues in the peak and spread the processing season in a way that benefits both our businesses.
RESTORE UPDATE It has now been one year since we officially launched our Restore brand bone broths and tonics, and it has certainly been busy! In July of last year, we launched into Foodstuffs North Island followed by the South Island later in the year. This year we expanded our reach through Countdown stores in May, and we also unveiled our newest tonic, Happy Tummy. Happy Tummy is the first bone broth made with Wagyu (a collaboration with FirstLight), and we unbiasedly believe it is the best one yet. We are so in love with our bone broths that we now serve them daily in our staff lunchrooms in both the corporate office and the two plants. Not content to settle for just domestic distribution, we are now actively working on plans to export the product into select Asian markets. Restore will have its own trade stand at the upcoming FHA Food & Beverage Show in Singapore where we will be looking for distributors and customers. We have also partnered with Tribal Brands Asia, a wellknown marketing agency for New Zealand brands expanding into Asia. Pallets of sample product left New Zealand in mid-August, and Tribal Brands will soon be overseeing market validation work in both Singapore and Hong Kong. We hope to conduct similar market research in Shanghai later this year or early next year. GREENLEABUTCHER.CO.NZ
ERIN THANKS YOU FOR HER CHALLENGING RESCUE It was meant to be an adventurous weekend, but things took a turn when Erin’s bike hit a pothole and she flew over the handlebars. A keen tramper and cyclist, Erin and her group were 15kms into the Timber Trail in the dense Pureora Forest when the accident happened. She landed hard on her shoulder with the e-bike on top of her. Erin remembers sitting on the side of the trail, feeling helpless and in pain. She knew she was too far in to turn back and was facing another 25km ride ahead of her. Due to their location, cell phone reception was patchy, and Erin’s daughter had to hang from a tree to get signal to call for help. With no other way to get to her, the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter was dispatched. Due to the terrain, Critical Care Flight Paramedic Rob had to be winched down to Erin. While Rob was assessing Erin’s injuries and preparing her for the flight, Pilot Nat flew off to search for a suitable landing site. With nowhere safe to land nearby, a stretcher was winched down to a
recently milled area. Erin was then secured in a harness and flown to the waiting stretcher. “I was carefully lowered straight on to the stretcher in my harness. The skill and accuracy of the pilot was incredible. I was then winched up on the stretcher and into the helicopter. In just 20 minutes I was at Rotorua Hospital.” Without the rescue helicopter, Erin doesn’t know how she would have gotten out of the forest that day. “The crew were so professional and so very careful in a challenging environment,” says Erin.
“The rescue helicopter crew were incredible. Rob and I flew over the tops of the trees attached to the winch cable by harness. Aside from the painful circumstances, it was quite an experience.”
Rescues like Erin’s are only possible with your amazing support! Thank you for helping us be there when your community needs us. Have you been rescued by your rescue helicopter? Our Patient Coordinator Gillian would love to talk with you – please email Gillian on thankyou@rescue.org.nz or call on 0800 11 10 10 if you would like to share your story.
SCAN TO WATCH ERIN’S RESCUE
ERIN
WANT YOUR VERY OWN RESCUE HELICOPTER? You can purchase your very own Greenlea Rescue Helicopter! Perfect for someone who’s been rescued by the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter, has a passion for aviation, or just wants to donate to charity and receive a gift back. These are available to purchase via our website link below. We have a limited number of replica helicopters, so get in quick!
RESCUE.ORG.NZ/DONATE/#SECTION-MERCHANDISE The Greenlea Rescue Helicopter is dedicated to serving the central North Island community 24/7, 365 days of the year. Thank you to Greenlea Premier Meats and their farmers for continuing to support the lifesaving service of the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter. You’re helping us touch the lives of many people.
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