The National Sheep Association (NSA) chief executive, Peter Morris, and chairman David Raine have met with industry leaders from New Zealand.

Pressure has been mounting in the UK and NZ in recent weeks following the poor prices received by producers in both countries for their produce. This has led to calls from NSA for both sets of producers to improve direct communication and identify common strengths and challenges.

Around the table there was an acceptance from the Meat & Wool New Zealand officeholders and chief executives from two major processing companies that the price paid to New Zealand producers were not sustainable and that improving that price must be a priority for anyone wishing to see the sheep meat industry develop into the future.

Morris said: "The meeting highlighted to me just what a global business sheep meat production now is, and how important the economic viability of producers in one country is to the prosperity of those in another. The most important outcome from the meeting was the apparent acceptance of this fact from all around the table.

"There is a growing concern in New Zealand about the number of sheep producers who are leaving the industry and in many cases going into dairy production that is currently far more profitable. This is almost entirely due to the poor price that sheep producers are being paid for their product - a story that is all too familiar in this country.

"No matter which part of the world sheep meat is produced in, if it is not an economically sustainable prospect for the producer then eventually those producers will move to other things.

"When industry leaders from the two countries that are at the forefront in the production of quality sheep meat come up with the same message then it has to be listened to."