How to double an entire industry: NZ’s Red Meat Sector Conference 2026

Can New Zealand really double the value of its exports by 2035?

That was the challenge laid down by Hon. Todd McClay in his opening address at this year's Red Meat Sector Conference in Wellington.

With red meat prices at near-record highs, the next chapter of success for the sector will come from creating more value from what we already produce and continuing to increase production. Better information, stronger customer connections, smarter regulation and industry collaboration will all have a role to play.

One such example presented during the conference was the New Zealand Meat Board's investment in modernising its Quota Management System. It may not be as visible as advances in artificial intelligence, livestock scanning or other on-farm technologies, but it demonstrates how real value comes from improving the information and processes that support an entire industry. Modern infrastructure, better data and redesigned processes have helped protect market access, reduce administration and deliver $1.4B in savings directly to kiwi exporters!

I’ve spent the last few years working alongside organisations in the red meat sector. Here are a my lessons from the conference.

1. Create More Value, Not Just More Volume

New Zealand's red meat sector already has a world-class reputation for quality, traceability, food safety and sustainable production. These strengths have been built over decades and remain some of our most important competitive advantages in global markets. The challenge now is how we leverage them to create even greater value for producers, processors, exporters and customers.

Throughout the conference there was a clear recognition that future growth won't come solely from producing more. It will come from improving productivity, reducing compliance effort, strengthening market access, building closer connections with customers and making better decisions through better information.

Technology has an important role to play in this journey, but not as a replacement for the experience, knowledge and expertise that already exists across the sector. Instead, technology should amplify what the industry already does well.

2. Technology is an Enabler, Not the End Goal

What stands out to me about the red meat sector is its pragmatism. New ideas are welcome, but they need to prove their value. The focus isn't on adopting technology because it's new. It's on understanding how it can reduce effort, improve decision-making, strengthen connections across the value chain and ultimately create more value from New Zealand exports.

Technology featured prominently at the conference, with discussions ranging from artificial intelligence and advanced scanning technologies through to digital traceability and better use of data. What is clear to me is that adding more technology is not the goal. Doubling the value of NZ Red Meat exports will come from using technology and information to solve real business challenges. In the spirit of that, here is a real example.

3. Modernise Critical Industry Infrastructure

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmTvodZWG5Y

When most people think about technology investment in the red meat sector, they think about what happens on the farm, in processing plants or throughout the supply chain.

What is less visible are the systems that sit behind the industry, helping New Zealand exporters access some of the world's most valuable markets.

Today, the New Zealand Meat Board administers ten export quotas across the EU, UK and US. Those quota markets support billions of dollars in export value and provide significant tariff savings to New Zealand exporters. Behind those numbers sits a complex set of processes, rules and systems that have evolved considerably over the past two decades.

As export opportunities have expanded through new free trade agreements and changing international trade arrangements, the complexity of quota administration has increased. More quotas, more transactions and greater reporting requirements have placed growing pressure on legacy systems and manual processes. This is why the New Zealand Meat Board's investment in a modern quota management platform is a great example for how the red meat industry should adopt new technologies.

The Quota Management System helps protect market access, improve transparency amoung competitors, reduce administrative effort for exporters and provide them with the confidence that New Zealand's quota arrangements are being managed effectively and fairly.

If New Zealand is serious about creating more value from its exports, investment in this type of critical infrastructure is just as important as investment in on-farm innovation, processing capability or new technologies. These are the foundations that help create resilience, improve efficiency and ensure the sector is well positioned to take advantage of future opportunities.

4. Partnerships Are Powerful

One of the things I value most about working in the red meat sector is the willingness of organisations to work together towards shared outcomes.

The conference was a great opportunity to reconnect with many of the people and organisations that Pro Partner has had the privilege of working alongside, including QCONZ, Beef + Lamb New Zealand, the New Zealand Meat Board and New Zealand Farm Assurance Incorporated.

I believe the sector needs to continue bringing in expertise to achieve 100% growth in the next decade and this was recognised when Esther Guy-Meakin, in her first address to the sector as CEO of the New Zealand Meat Board, acknowledged Pro Partner's contribution to the quota management transformation programme, and when Chris Leach, CEO of Quality Consultants New Zealand (QCONZ), also recognised the leadership, governance, process and controls that Pro Partner has put on plane to manage the programme's delivery.

Than you Esther and Chris for your acknowledgement. They were greatly appreciated, they were also a lesson for the sector that successful transformation happens when everyone is working towards the same outcome. Strong partnerships create better decisions, reduce delivery risk and ultimately deliver better results for the wider sector.

If New Zealand is serious about creating more value from its exports, collaboration across industry, technology partners will be just as important as the technology itself.

5. Look Ahead

In his closing remarks, Nick Beeby, CEO of the Meat Industry Association, reflected on the discussions from across the conference and shared a simple but optimistic view: while New Zealand's red meat sector is already performing strongly, its best days are still ahead. After listening to the conversations over the two days, it's hard not to agree.

The sector has strong leadership, world-class producers and exporters, and a willingness to embrace innovation where it delivers real value. There is a growing recognition that success will be built through collaboration across industry, government and technology partners.

If New Zealand is serious about doubling the value of its exports by 2035, the path forward is clear. Continue investing in the systems, embrace technology that improves productivity and decision-making, and strengthen the partnerships that help turn those goals into outcomes.

Turn Your Opportunity into a Clear Plan

If you're considering a technology, transformation, process improvement or industry capability initiative and would like to discuss how to turn an idea into a practical roadmap, I'd welcome the opportunity to connect.

Book a 30-minute discussion to explore your opportunity and identify the outcomes, challenges and next steps needed to develop a clear project brief.