Currently when marketing farm products the farmer has a choice between; direct or indirect selling, (or perhaps a combination of the two). Indirect selling is the most used option at present, selling produce to another party who process it, thereby adding value and who then sell the processed items on. Direct selling gives the producer opportunities for direct consumer contact and enables them to process and add value to their own product.
There is a need for producers to realise that they are not in the livestock or dairy industry but in the “food business”. While it is common to hear similar rhetoric from leading meat processors their actions do not appear to support their words. The Meat industry remains a personality driven, divided sector (where either the primary producer or the processors are making money) while the dairy sector is dominated by a virtual monopoly.
The findings of this research are local to South Auckland. The options that are available to the individual producer will vary according to the locality of the farm.
Robert Lyons
