Stalled meat exports worry local farmers

Supply issues with meat in one of New Zealand's most profitable export markets are a major concern for Wairarapa farmers, the local Federated Farmers branch warns.

Wairarapa president Jamie Falloon said many farmers were still grappling with lower meat prices in the drought's aftermath: "The last thing we need is market-related issues."

Uncertainty surrounding export meat destined for the Chinese market continues to grow as Government officials struggle to solve the "documentation" debacle.

Industry groups are unsure what the blockade may ultimately cost. It has resulted in all New Zealand meat being sidelined at Chinese ports.

It was revealed last week that consignments had been holed up since the end of April at the Chinese border - despite the Government only being alerted to the problem within the last few weeks.

Confusion around the renaming of New Zealand's Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) - which merged the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry, the Ministry of Fisheries and the Food Safety Authority and is responsible for export certification - is at the root of the problem.

Mr Falloon said the crisis probably stemmed from an MPI "genuine mistake".

"Someone probably hasn't understood the consequences of what happens when the paperwork isn't correct."

Federated Farmers national president Bruce Wills said an ongoing blockade would be a major blow for farmers.

China was New Zealand's "biggest sheep meat market", he said.

Beef + Lamb New Zealand said 60,500 tonnes of lamb, beef and mutton was exported to China in the three months to March - worth $278.3 million. That represented about 18 per cent of the meat export receipts from all export markets.

Mr Wills said additional transportation of the meat, should it be denied entry to China, would hurt farmers.

"People will look to recover their costs and the only guys who can't recover their costs in a situation like this are the guys at the end of the line, and that's the farming community.

"I've had assurance from senior [Government] levels that every effort's been made to sort it," he said.

Meat Industry Association trade and economic manager Dan Coup was unable to say how much the stalled consignments were worth.

"There's nowhere you can go for that data," Mr Coup said.

He and Mr Wills were satisfied with the Government's response to the situation.

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy earlier said shipments initially continued without incident for several weeks after the department's name change on March 1.

However, paperwork problems causing the consignment delay emerged last week.

"Basically we need to get the paperwork in order to satisfy the Chinese officials," he said.

APNZ, additional reporting Adam Bennett, New Zealand Herald