Shareholders have met the required threshold and plan to call special general meetings of two meat co-operatives in the next four to six weeks to again push for a meat mega merger.
The Meat Industry Action Group (MIAG), which has led the initiative, plans to call special general meetings of Alliance Group and Silver Fern Farms at which it proposes initiating a merger of the two companies to begin with, then look at acquiring or merging with other meat companies.
MIAG chairman John Gregan said resolutions would be put forward at the meetings to set up what he called a constitutional committee, made up of directors from both companies under an independent chairman, to resurrect the failed meat mega merger.
The failure of the two co-operatives to merge prevented earlier attempts to reform the meat industry when Silver Fern Farms, then known as PPCS, raised several concerns about the process.
Merger initiatives would still have to be approved by shareholders, Mr Gregan said.
A merger of Alliance and Silver Fern Farms would create an entity representing just over 50% of the country's meat procurement, processing and marketing industry, well short of the 80% advocated by the Alliance Group's failed concept proposal.
But, merging the two co-operatives would provide a base from which the constitutional committee could start negotiating with private and public companies to create an enlarged entity, he said.
Mr Gregan said an industry merger had the support of Meat and Wool New Zealand and the Meat Industry Taskforce ahead of other options such as establishing a joint industry marketing company which could have legal implications.
"There seems to be some sort of consensus."
Meat and Wool New Zealand has commissioned PricewaterhouseCoopers to look at industry options and Mr Gregan said that report, along with the Meat Industry Taskforce work, would provide strategic and planning options, cost and risk assessments for the proposed constitutional committee.
"That will work in together well," he said.
Other work could be funded by the co-operatives and overseen by the constitutional committee.
Mr Gregan said MIAG was still considering a potential chairman and had not approached anyone.
"He needs to be . . . without industry baggage, [have] an ability to negotiate, with mana, and independent of the meat industry."
