Despite the floods, signs of growth

摘要

The New Zealand leather processing industry has now settled into a structure that will serve it for the medium term future. The meat processing industry rationalisation has continued with PPCS finally gaining control of the Richmond group in late 2003 after a prolonged struggle that ended up in the courts on several occasions. The push for a northern presence for the two southern island meat-processing companies is to gain a supply of product over a longer period than the shorter southern killing season provides. Alliance had a full season's kill at its revamped Dannevirke plant although throughput was down on predictions. Another player in this region emerged when Canterbury Meat Packers Ltd announced its intentions of building a new works near Marton. This was after withdrawing from a takeover bid for Waitotara Meat Processors near Wanganui. With PPCS now having access to the Richmond plants, some further rationalisation is likely. The shift in kill figures has continued with the sheep population continuing to fall and dairy cattle numbers increasing. (Tables 1, 2 and 3).