Page 29 - NZ Hereford Magazine 2023

A change of

direction for

Laurie

aurie Paterson is stepping down from Hereford The early days of Hereford Prime showing Laurie Paterson (right) and
Prime after a 30-year involvement – the past 22 as fellow Hereford breeder, the late Don Goodall (centre), with John Flynn
chairman. from the brand’s first partner, Bowmont Wholesale Meats.
This straight-talking beef industry leader, with a
Llifetime of breeding Hereford cattle, pioneered the
introduction of software that helped to take the guesswork
out of cattle breeding in this country and was instrumental
in the formation of Hereford Prime to boost value at the
other end of the production chain.
As well as co-founder, Laurie has been a director of
Hereford Prime since it started in 1992, and chairman
since 2000. He was president of the New Zealand Hereford
Association from 1997 to 1999, still sits on the NZ Hereford
board, and was awarded the Officer of the New Zealand Order
of Merit for services to the beef industry in 2017.
He largely credits his partnership with mentor and fellow
Hereford breeder, the late Don Goodall, who three decades
ago changed the way beef breeders thought about the
quality of meat they were producing.
Both were on the national council and shared concerns
about a lack of consistency in the quality of beef offered
to diners at that time. It wasn’t until he and Don followed
animals through slaughter, carcass assessment and the
retail chain that they fully grasped what was involved in
meat processing.
“Back then industry pioneers like Don were sick of eating
tough steak. Quality was all over the place,” Laurie recalls.
The pair spent a year in the chillers checking carcasses and
came up with a set of specifications for Hereford breeders to
improve the consistency of meat quality. Laurie’s Hereford Prime chairman duties included being in
During the 1980s, Laurie and Don were also instrumental charge of the BBQ at the National Hereford Show and Sale.
in introducing Breedplan genetic evaluation software (EBVs)
to Hereford breeders in New Zealand, a system Don had seen
up and running in Australia, which led to the creation of
New Zealand Performance Beef Breeders.
At the time there was a lot of emphasis on producing
leaner stock. Beef’s eating quality was not as good, but he
says companies weren’t worried about that because they
“just chucked it in a box” for export. Since those pioneering
days, the New Zealand beef industry has moved ahead in
leaps and bounds, Laurie says.
“Hereford Prime just happened to be the first ones
specifying what we had to do and since then the whole
industry has changed. Maybe diners are a bit more
discerning too.”
Meat companies picked up the baton and started offering
incentives to encourage suppliers to use Breedplan.
“If there’s one thing farmers understand it is money ... or
a lack of it,” he says. “So, if you hang a carrot out there with a Laurie with Simon Henry, executive chef of Emberz Restaurant,
few dollars attached to it, they will respond quickly.” Invercargill in 2017.

Year 2023 HEREFORD MAGAZINE 27