Future of Farming Award To NZ Suppliers

15 July 2010

Silver Fern Farms’ Supplier scoops Marks & Spencer ‘Future of Farming’ Award

Silver Fern Farms is proud to congratulate Central Hawkes Bay farmers, Sam and Hannah Morrah, who recently scooped a major award from British retailing giant Marks & Spencer for the supply of premium quality Primera lambs off their farm southeast of Waipukurau.

The Marks & Spencer Plan A Future of Farming Award was conceived to promote best practice throughout the supply chain and recognise and reward farmers and growers who are taking great steps to improve the sustainability of their business.

This is the first year that the Award has been opened up to farmers outside of the United Kingdom to acknowledge the great achievements of Marks & Spencer’s overseas suppliers in the areas of animal welfare, environmental and ethical issues.

Before being selected as the ultimate winner, the Morrahs made a shortlist of farmers from around the world representing diverse farming systems - from banana growers from St Lucia and Costa Rica, to a prawn farmer from Thailand and coffee bean producers from Kenya.

“We are delighted to see the efforts of our farmer partners recognised in this way by one of our major international customers” said Grant Howie, Silver Fern Farms’ Integrated Category Manager. “The award validates all the work the Morrahs have put in to ensure their farming system and end product meet the exacting standards that our top global customers demand of their preferred international suppliers.”

The Morrahs are members of Silver Fern Farms’ Marks & Spencer Supplier Partnership, part of the company’s BackboneTM Integrated Value Chain Programme, which aims to link suppliers directly to a group of key global retail and foodservice customers.

“We see integrated relationships between supplier, processor and retailer as key to a sustainable future for our farm. Through Silver Fern Farms and the Marks & Spencer Supplier Group we work together to understand the exact specifications and delivery periods required by the customer and commit livestock so Silver Fern Farms can guarantee supply and provide us with price certainty" said Sam Morrah.

The Morrahs attribute much of their success to the relationships they have developed with a number of local suppliers and business partners to help them make the necessary changes to their business model to meet the requirements of Marks & Spencer. In addition to Silver Fern Farms they have worked closely with their fertiliser company, seed merchant, breeding specialist, environmental consultants, local transport operator and financial, veterinarian and quality assurance service providers to develop and improve their farming systems and business processes.

“This is a perfect illustration of how the integrated value chain can work to add value at all stages and something we are actively encouraging under our ‘plate-to-pasture’ strategy through our BackboneTM Integrated Value Chain programmes” said Mr Howie.

The Morrahs have been overwhelmed by the generous support of these same partners - Silver Fern Farms, Agrecovery, Vet Services Hawkes Bay, Rissington Breedline, National Bank Hastings, Farmers Transport Ltd, Ballance Agri-Nutrients, WHK Hawkes Bay, Segard Masurel, Central Suzuki, Hawke’s Bay Regional Council and AsureQuality - who have all contributed financially to ensure the couple can travel to the Royal Welsh Show this week to receive the award and their £1,000 prize in person.

“Marks & Spencer granting us this award has given us more confidence about the decisions we have made on farm to supply such a customer” said Sam Morrah. “We are more motivated than ever to continue what we have started in the hope that product supplied under these specifications will continue to fill Marks & Spencer shelves in the future and extract a price premium from the market”. 

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