Consultation and Farmer Updates
Farmer consultation on NZMB’s proposal to provide industry-good funding to B+LNZ’s NextGen Insights and Data Platform Project
We’re seeking feedback from livestock farmers on the New Zealand Meat Board’s (NZMB) proposal to contribute industry-good funding to Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s (B+LNZ) investment in a modernised data platform to protect and strengthen the data, benchmarking and evidence base that supports sheep meat and beef farmers and the wider red meat sector.
We also intend to consult on other matters relating to the use of NZMB’s reserves in the coming months – and these are anticipated to be considered in conjunction with the NZMB’s 2027 Annual General Meeting.
What you need to do
1. Read the proposal.
2. Have your say by 7 August 2026 via the online consultation feedback form
The proposal
The NZMB proposes to provide industry-good funding to support B+LNZ’s investment in the NextGen Insights and Data Platform (the Project).
The Project aims to modernise the core data infrastructure and systems that support B+LNZ’s Sheep and Beef Farm Survey and wider insights capability for the benefit of farmers and the wider red meat sector. The Project will replace the current legacy data platform with a modern, secure, cloud-based data platform that is easier to maintain, improves governance, protects continuity, and enhances analysis and reporting.
B+LNZ is seeking industry-good funding from NZMB for the Project to support the design, build, and scale and speed of implementation of a modernised data platform.
The total Project investment is approximately $4.5 million over seven years. NZMB’s proposed contribution to the Project is up to $1.3 million, spread across financial years 2026 ($300,000) and 2027 ($1,000,000). B+LNZ will provide the remainder of funding for capital build and operating costs.
Background
One of NZMB’s functions under the Meat Board Act 2004 is to manage, in the interests of farmers, its reserves including providing funding for industry-good activities. The NZMB’s Reserves Policy sets out the policy for use of reserves including for providing funding to industry-good projects.
Rationale
The New Zealand sheep meat and beef sector relies on trusted, independent data to make good decisions. For more than 70 years, B+LNZ’s Sheep and Beef Farm Survey has provided one of the sector’s most important evidence bases. It supports farm benchmarking, economic reporting, policy, advocacy, and industry-wide analysis.
That evidence is increasingly important. Farmers, government, markets, and industry partners all need credible information on farm performance, costs, profitability, production, and sector trends. Without strong data, the sector is less able to tell its story, influence policy, identify opportunities, and support better decisions on farm.
The current data platform is ageing and based on legacy technology. It depends heavily on a small number of people with specialist knowledge and involves many manual processes. While it continues to operate, the risk of disruption is increasing and the system is not well suited to future needs such as faster reporting, improved benchmarking, integration with other datasets, or AI-enabled analysis.
B+LNZ’s business case shows that full replacement of the legacy data platform is the preferred option, as it balances risk reduction, long-term value, delivery confidence, supportability and cost-effectiveness. It advises that partial replacement would simply delay existing issues.
Benefits
Farmers will directly benefit from stronger benchmarking, better economic information, and more relevant insights. The sector will benefit from a more credible evidence base for advocacy, policy engagement, and long-term planning.
The NZMB has a direct interest in ensuring the sector has effective data infrastructure to support export growth, inform industry decision-making, and establish and operate quota management systems.
Because the benefits are broad, long-term, and industry-wide, NZMB proposes that industry-good funding from reserves contribute to the total investment required to support the design, build, and scale and speed of implementation for a modernised data platform.
Summary
NZMB industry-good grant funding allocated from reserves for the 2026 financial year is currently $1.5 million for the multi-year Eliminating Impacts of Facial Eczema (EFEI) project and would increase to $1.8 million including this Project.
NZMB has agreed in principle to funding up to $1.5 million for the EFEI project in the 2027 year. This proposal would increase the total industry-good grant funding allocated in the 2027 year up to $2.5 million.
Multi-year projects are subject to annual budget approval after considering milestone reporting and level of reserves available for industry-good funding.
The NZMB recognises there is a limit above which reserves are better applied to deliver industry-good benefits back to farmers through industry-good grant funding (thereby reducing the need for levy funding) rather than continuing to increase the total level of reserves.
We welcome your feedback via the link here. The Board will consider the points raised by submitters at its August 2026 meeting. The Board’s decision will be communicated following the August 2026 Board meeting via B+LNZ’s ediaries.
Submissions close 7 August 2026.
Current: 20 July 2026