Abstract

A pharmaceuticals division was first established in a New Zealand (NZ) meat company by Richmond Limited in mid 2001. This new division was a first in Australasia and had the stated objective of adding value to a range of relatively low-value by-products. At that time the supply of by-products throughout the meat industry in NZ was generally characterised by: • low prices; • low level of attention; • low levels of enthusiasm; • lack of market knowledge. This presentation will attempt to: • describe, in general terms, the establishment of a pharmaceuticals division as an integral part of a meat company; • describe the process of establishing relationships between suppliers and customers; • highlight areas of particular strengths and weakness in the pharmaceuticals arena for the NZ meat industry; • make some observations about the medium and longer term prognosis for the industry, in its widest sense.

A, Rogerson

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, Volume 65, Christchurch, 340-343, 2005