About Silver Fern Farms

We are New Zealand’s leading producer and exporter of premium lamb, beef and venison products. In peak season, we employ over 6,000 people at our 14 processing sites.

 

Established in 1948, Silver Fern Farms is a market-led food company, supplying nutritious and delicious, sustainably and ethically raised grass-fed red meat and other natural products, from Aotearoa, New Zealand to the world. We are New Zealand’s leading processor, marketer and exporter of premium quality lamb, beef and venison and associated products to over 60 global markets.

We are deeply connected to the rural communities of New Zealand.  In peak season, we employ over 6,000 people at our 14 processing sites. We connect to a network of over 16,000 farmer suppliers nationwide.

With $2.5+ Billion in annual sales and multiple global hubs (including the US, UK, Korea, Japan, NZ, UAE and China) we are a fully integrated company from farm to processing to export, so you can trust Silver Fern Farms to be a reliable partner for premium petfood ingredients supply.

 

Our People

Silver Fern Farms’ global reputation for premium pet nutrition ingredients extends beyond the remarkable natural resources of New Zealand farms; it is intimately linked with the people behind the process – from our farmer partners, on-farm/in-field sustainability and support teams, food manufacturing and commercial staff, all the way through to our global supply chain and logistics partners.

Our dedicated people contribute to New Zealand's status as a world leader in the production of quality pet nutrition ingredients, creating goodness from the farms the world needs and ensuring the highest possible standards of food safety, animal welfare, and environmental stewardship.

Our Commitment to

Animal Welfare

Our animals are grass-fed, they can eat and live as they would naturally – reducing stress and promoting better animal welfare.

We do the right thing through our chain of care, which is the way we work responsibly through the supply chain. Silver Fern Farms complies with New Zealand Government’s legislative requirements, and we are bound by the Animal Welfare Act of 1999.

As a responsible producer of premium natural products, we have comprehensive systems and policies in place to ensure the welfare of our animals throughout our chain of care.

Our processing sites abide by strict animal welfare policies and practices and operate a humane slaughter program to ensure that stress to animals is minimised.

Under the New Zealand Government Animal Welfare Act of 1999 our farmers, our people and our supply chain partners have an obligation in relation to the physical, health and behavioural needs of our animals. 

Silver Fern Farms complies with the New Zealand Government's Animal Health and Welfare standards which align with the globally recognized Five Freedoms to ensure animals are free to express normal behaviour. All animals shall have proper and sufficient food, water and shelter, physical handling in a manner which minimizes the likelihood of unreasonable or unnecessary pain or distress and protection from, and rapid diagnosis of, any significant injury or disease.