Meat company bosses were yesterday told to put aside egos and personality conflicts and make changes to an industry many farmers fear will not survive unless profits improve.
The major prize of a meat super company may elude them, but 400 angry sheep farmers who met in Gore yesterday still expect meat companies to initiate change to improve lamb prices.
Meat Industry Action Group chairman Keith Milne said the future of the industry was at stake, but was threatened by ‘‘a culture of hate and distrust'' between Dunedin's PPCS and Alliance Group, of Invercargill.
Previous conflicts had to be put to one side, and the companies needed to focus on the future.
The meeting, called on Monday by the action group, followed PPCS's decision last Friday not to sign a co-operation agreement requested by the Alliance Group, part of its plan to merge five companies and create a super company.
The five companies are Affco, Alliance, Anzco, PPCS and Bernard Matthews.
The new company would procure, process and market 80% of the nation's sheepmeat and venison, and a portion of the beef kill.
Farmers were angry yesterday at PPCS's decision, but also levelled some criticism at Alliance.
‘‘I was totally gutted when PPCS torpedoed the merger, when farmers saw a sniff of hope,'' Southland farmer Peter Black said.
Fellow Southland farmer Russell Welsh echoed what many others said, that farmers had the power to push for change through their shareholding.
Shareholders in the two cooperatives were asked to sign authorisation forms to force PPCS and Alliance to call special general meetings and allow shareholders to air their views.
Action group member Peter Horrell said 300 to 400 farmers could force a meeting and send a signal that farmers were serious.