Silver Fern Farms Support Christchurch

4 March 2011

‘Silver Fern Farms’ suppliers and global customers join forces to support Christchurch’

Silver Fern Farms announced today that it will be donating the equivalent value of the Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) and Deer Industry New Zealand (DINZ) levies on all sheep, beef and deer processed during the week commencing 14th March 2011 to the New Zealand Red Cross 2011 Earthquake Appeal.

While the company had put in place a number of initiatives on the ground to support the relief effort in the wake of the tragedy, including providing access to fresh water and equipment from its processing sites and donating meat supplies to the ‘Farmy Army’ and the Salvation Army, Chief Executive Keith Cooper said that the cooperative had been overwhelmed by messages of concern from its shareholders and wanted to step up the company’s response on their behalf.

“We’re pleased we can put in place a simple mechanism whereby our shareholder-suppliers, via their cooperative, effectively make a donation on every head of livestock they process that week.”

In addition, Silver Fern Farms had also received commitment from customers offshore to match the company’s contributions.

“We feel quite humbled by a very genuine desire on the part of both our farmers and our international customers to help us do more for our colleagues and others in Christchurch facing hardship as a result of the earthquake.”

The company is optimistic that B+LNZ and DINZ will join with Silver Fern Farms, its farmer-suppliers and global customers and make a donation equivalent to the levies they will collect in that week to the collective fund.

It is anticipated that, with B+LNZ and DINZ also contributing, a total in excess of $300,000 will be raised, an effort that shareholder-suppliers and employees could be very proud of.

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