Will the consumer benefit from a meat industry merger?

Opinion

The Craig Norgate-led rural services company PGG Wrightson today won a 50 per cent stake in the nation's biggest meat company, Silver Fern Farms.

Silver Fern said today a total of 75.62 per cent of the votes cast were in favour of the "partnership". The deal required a 75 per cent approval by Silver Fern Farms suppliers.

The vote attracted high polling levels, with more than 83.3 per cent of the eligible votes being cast. Farmers were so finely divided that commentators said the result came down the 120 suppliers who voted at today's Dunedin meeting - and 100 per cent of those who voted supported the deal.

Will the consumer benefit from a meat industry merger? Here is the latest selection of Your Views: