The New Zealand Meat Board was established in 1922 as the New Zealand Meat Producers Board, under an Act of Parliament, the Meat-export Control Act 1921-22. It provided for producer, government and business representation and took responsibility for marketing New Zealand's meat for export. Today, the Meat Board provides quota and reserves management while Beef + Lamb New Zealand provides industry good functions.
The business of the board would be to look after the interests of producers (farmers) at both ends, to keep down the costs of production at this end (freezing companies) and to look after freight and insurance (shipping companies). At the other end it was proposed to appoint a London agency to be entrusted with the business of seeing to the disposal and proper marketing of New Zealand meat in England (Smithfield).
Funding would be provided by a small per carcass levy paid by producers.
The government was empowered by the Act to prohibit the export of meat except as determined by the Board.
The Act provided that membership should consist of eight people: two government appointees, five persons appointed by the Governor-General as representatives of producers and elected by them for the purpose and one member as a representative of .
Other producer boards: