In a first for New Zealand, images and contact details of the farmers who supply lamb to selected supermarkets in the United Kingdom will appear on the product's packaging.
PPCS chief executive Keith Cooper said the move was in response to requests by retailers and consumers, but it would also create a point of difference, utilise "the New Zealand story" as a marketing feature and command a premium price.
"Several top-end supermarkets want to give grower details to consumers such as where they are from and [give] comfort with the source of products in terms of the country of origin, the environment in which it [the product] has been raised and, potentially, how it has been raised.
"It's the whole story behind the product."
The first consignment carrying producers' images and names has arrived in selected Marks & Spencer supermarkets in the United Kingdom, and PPCS group marketing manager Glenn Tyrrell said it was likely other affluent markets would request similar packaging.
The exact format of the packaging could vary from an actual photograph of the farmer to simply carrying a name, serial number and web address from which the consumer could access details about the farmer and farm from which the meat came.
Mr Cooper said this was part of a company strategy to link the farmers with consumers, to differentiate New Zealand lamb, and use New Zealand to tell consumers a positive story about where and how the lamb was grown and produced.
The present marketing system identified New Zealand-produced lamb, he said, but did not promote positive aspects of the environment.
"We have a strategy of marketing New Zealand, what we do and how we deliver it, versus the New Zealand lamb stamp of origin we have now."
PPCS is also promoting 300g-500g ready-served portions with recipe suggestions to target modern consumers along with the New Zealand branding.
Mr Cooper said New Zealand needed to reduce its reliance on the UK leg market as fewer people were buying leg roasts.
While the 1kg and 2kg leg roasts were still a key product, Mr Tyrrell said new consumers shopped with a basket not a trolley, bought meal-size meat portions rather than roasts and they decided in seconds what they were going to buy, so packaging had to be attractive and eye-catching.
Later this year PPCS will change its name to Silver Fern Farms in another part of the strategy which is also designed to sell the New Zealand story.
