Dung Life

Project start: 15 March 2021
Project length: 5 years
MPI funding: $91,500
Industry funding: $42,000
Industry partners: AgResearch, Project Parore, Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Otago University
Region: Bay of Plenty

This project will assess the impact of dung fauna interactions on the environment, soil and animal health. This includes specifically looking at the interactions between dung beetles and earthworms, which has not been significantly studied in New Zealand. The aim is to understand these interactions throughout the seasons to enable confident investment by livestock farmers.

Development of a farmers’ handbook for best practice snail farming in New Zealand

Project start: 15 March 2021
Project length: 3 years
MPI funding: $69,993.20
Industry funding: $38,192.80
Industry partners: Aroha Snails New Zealand Limited
Region: Waikato

This project is trialling snail farming in the Waikato. It will trial 2 methods commonly used overseas. The insights will inform the development of a farmer’s handbook outlining best practice snail farming in a New Zealand context. As a result, landowners will be able to evaluate the feasibility of snail farming as a potential low-input, sustainable and environmentally friendly land-use alternative.

Marine, poultry and vegan salami project

Project start: 20 January 2021
Project length: 2 years
MPI funding: $306,000
Industry funding: $456,000
Industry partners: Aotea Organics Ltd
Region: Auckland

This project aims to develop a range of premium marine-based, chicken and vegan salami. Recipes and processing techniques will be trialled and tested for shelf life, texture and taste.

Pig Gas: A greenhouse gas emissions calculator for New Zealand pig farmers

Project start: 18 August 2020
Project length: 1 year
MPI funding: $25,500
Industry funding: $49,500
Industry partner: New Zealand Pork Industry Board
Region: Nationwide

This project will develop a tool for New Zealand pig farmers to estimate carbon dioxide equivalent emissions from their piggery operations. The tool will be adapted from an existing Australian model to suit New Zealand farming operations and emissions reporting data/criteria. The project will include communicating how to use this tool.

Raw wild game pet food (not freeze dried)

Project start: 9 July 2020
Project length: 2 years
MPI funding: $12,000
Industry funding: $18,000
Industry partner: Merit Meats Ltd
Region: Otago/Auckland

This project aims to produce ethical, sustainable, and healthy pet food products made from pest species, such as wild venison and wild tahr.

NZ red meat sector – future proofing against climate change

Project start: 9 July 2020
Project length: 1 year
MPI funding: $149,500
Industry funding: $102,700
Industry partner: Meat Industry Association
Region: Nationwide

The New Zealand red meat sector is committed to reducing its agricultural emissions by 2025. To support this goal, this project will calculate the current climate impact of sheep and beef products using the latest internationally recognised, scientifically credible methodology. This will create a benchmark and measure for future emissions reductions.

NZ charcuterie culture – fine food manufacturing from grass-fed red meats

Project start: 9 June 2020
Project length: 4 years
MPI funding: $982,320
Industry funding: $1,473,480
Industry partner: Four Good Foods
Region: Bay of Plenty

Four Good Foods aims to create a new value chain producing fine charcuterie products with new flavours. The meat will be naturally fermented without added nitrates or chemicals. This high-end, unique product has the potential to create a new domestic industry sector and export option for New Zealand red meats.

Meat the Need

Project start: 14 May 2020
Project length: 3 years
MPI funding: $318,500
Industry funding: $550,000
Industry partner: Meat the Need Trust
Region: South Island

Meat the Need is a charitable organisation aimed at eliminating food poverty in New Zealand. They are developing a non-profit framework for farmers to donate livestock to convert into meat for charities. Meat the Need will act as a charitable supply chain to serve existing agencies already serving the community.

Gourmet direct dairy based rose veal production model

Project start: 7 May 2020
Project length: 2 years
MPI funding: $364,000
Industry funding: $546,000
Industry partner: Gourmet Direct
Region: Hawke’s Bay

Gourmet Direct is developing a scalable production model to produce Rose Veal derived from mature bobby calves, and to extract further value from the by-products such as offal, bones and hides. This would reduce the large number of bobby calves destroyed and discarded on farm each year.

Towards carbon neutral red meat

Project start: 10 March 2020
Project length: 1 year
MPI funding: $98,450
Industry funding: $370,640
Industry partner: Silver Fern Farms
Region: Nationwide

Silver Fern Farms aims to become the world’s most successful and sustainable grass-fed red meat company. To optimise opportunities for low carbon or carbon-neutral red meat, this project is working with a group of suppliers on integrating on-farm carbon management and sequestration into a plate to pasture approach.

SmartEWE: Good mothers, greener pastures and better products  

Project start: 28 January 2020
Project length: 1 year  
MPI funding: $39,875  
Industry funding: $59,813  
Industry partner: Four Good Foods  
Region: Nationwide

Four Good Foods will trial the use of smart-tag technology on maternal ewes to track their individual performance. This information will be used to increase lamb output, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve animal welfare and product quality.   

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