A new market development strategy for Beef + Lamb New Zealand will see the loss of about five positions and the closure of some offices overseas.
The farmer-funded organisation plans to target new and emerging markets.
A cattle beast looks through a fence. Photo: 123RF
It will close offices in the United Kingdom, South Korea and Japan but retain them in China and in Brussels, where the focus is on maintaining trade access in Europe.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand chairman James Parsons said the revamp would mean a redeployment of resources.
"It's not like we won't still be in our existing markets but can we do things a bit more effectively and so that will be managing things from New Zealand a little more with staff travelling up to the market and being a little more nimble and fleet of foot as to where we might go."
The review of its marketing provided some insights which had not been appreciated but were now being acted on, he said.
"We need to operate around establishing more opportunities."
The development of a red meat sector story, capturing the culture, values and integrity long associated with New Zealand sheep and beef farmers will be exploited in its new overseas marketing strategy.
Traditionally, products had been marketed around functional attributes such as taste and tenderness, Mr Parsons said.
"Every country likes to talk about how they have the best products in the world - our point of difference is the New Zealand story.
"It's an emotional story that builds social licence with consumers around our products".
The campaign would be underpinned by an integrity programme, Mr Parsons said.
"It has been developed through the red meat profit partnership with its national quality assurance programme and the majority of meat companies are on board with that now."
