KEY POINTS:
The Meat Industry Action Group is taking legal action in an attempt to force processor Silver Fern Farms to bring forward a vote on merger talks with rival co-operative Alliance Group.
The action group has the 5 per cent shareholder support needed to request a meeting and last week asked the High Court at Wellington to order Silver Fern to set a date.
The Dunedin-based meat processor this week said it was already working to set a date and named October 7.
However, the action group is still proceeding with the court hearing due tomorrow.
Silver Fern said it was not appropriate to hold the action group meeting on the same day or before a separate meeting on September 8 to vote on a partnership with listed rural services company PGG Wrightson.
Silver Fern Farms has agreed to sell half of the company to PGG Wrightson for $220 million.
Action group chairman John Gregan said the organisation would be asking for the date of their meeting to be brought forward to either the same time as the PGG Wrightson meeting or earlier.
"Certainly advice we've been given is there's really not much of an argument there.
"They're obligated to bring up points that shareholders make of resolutions if there's a special general meeting to be held," Gregan said.
"Farmers surely can vote on two different issues at the same meeting."
The vote on the PGG Wrightson partnership could change the company in regards to future voting, he said.
The action group's resolutions are seeking support for the creation of a single farmer-owned co-operative, for the boards to work together to create a national champion, to set up a constitutional committee with an action group-appointed chairman and to hold a further special general meeting in March to remove and re-elect all directors and invite any new nominations.
