A short history of the New Zealand meat industry.

     
1882 (15 Feb) SS Dunedin sails for the United Kingdom with the first export shipment of frozen meat
1914-1918 (First World War) New Zealand farmers encouraged to produce as much as possible for the British wartime trade
1920 (30 Jun) Wartime buying contract ends leaving huge tonnages in store. Prices tumble
1921   A 'Board of control' for the industry proposed to regulate the New Zealand industry, co-operatively market the products and negotiate prices and freight. Debate raged reinforced by a disastrous season for farmers
1922 (Feb) The Meat Export Control Act becomes law creating the New Zealand Meat Producers Board
1922 (17 Mar) First meeting of the Meat Board held in Wellington: five farmer representatives and two government representatives
1922 (Aug) London office established
1923   New Zealand exports over six million carcasses of sheepmeat to Britain
1923   Rosette mark introduced
1926   First shipments of beef, mutton and lamb to Canada and the United States
1933   First shipments of chilled beef sent to the U.S.
1939   Over nine million lamb carcasses exported to Britain
1945   New four-year agreement to supply as much as possible to the United Kingdom. This was extended in 1952 to a 15-year agreement giving unlimited access to the market.
1947   New Zealand joins GATT
1950   Meat & Wool Boards' Economic Service established
1954   Rationing ends in Britain. Five million NZ lamb recipe books 'snapped up' in the UK
1959   Meat Board gets authority to negotiate air freight rates
1961 (Oct) Meat Export Control Act changed to allow the Board to market lamb
1962   Board representative established in the United States
1964   Board representative established in Japan
1971   Brussels office opened
1971   Board get Order in Council to buy and sell beef
1973   Britain joins the EEC - quotas result
1974 (Nov) Board announces guaranteed prices for lamb and mutton
1974   Teheran office opened
1974   Meat Industry Authority (MIA) established
1980 (May) EC sheepmeat regulation agreed
1980   Meat Act dissolved MIA
1982 (Oct) Board takes over all sheepmeat buying and selling.
Bahrain office opened.
1988   Chilled packaging: commercial launch of CAPtech
1990 (Oct) Meat Research Development Council (MRDC) established
1990 (Oct) EEC becomes EU - a single market
1990 (Oct) Hong Kong office opened
1994 (Apr) GATT agreement signed
1994   Korean office opened
1994   Quality Mark launched
1997 (Dec) New Meat Board Act passed
1998 (Mar) Meat New Zealand adopted as new trading name
2004 (July) Meat Board Act 2004 passed on 1 July and organisation name reverts to: New Zealand Meat Board
2007 (15 Feb) 125th anniversary of first shipment of New Zealand frozen meat
2020 31 Dec UK exits the EU ('Brexit') 
2021 1 Jan EU28 WTO quotas split into EU27 and UK - Sheepmeat and Goatmeat; High Quality Beef
2022 28 Feb UK and NZ sign Free Trade Agreement 
2022 March NZMB centenary - 100 years supporting red meat exports and reserves investment for farmers
2022 24 May 140 years since first frozen shipment of sheepmeat arrived in UK
2023 31 May UK-NZ Free Trade Agreement enters into force - new access for beef, including processed and prepared products
2023 9 July EU and NZ sign Free Trade Agreement
2024 1 May EU-NZ Free Trade Agreement enters into force - new access for beef, sheepmeat and goatmeat (including processed and prepared products)