Meat & Wool NZ will dump about a third of its head office staff in Wellington following massive budget cuts.

Yesterday the organisation, which has around 30 staff, announced it slashed $6.3 million in its yearr-on-year budget ending a number of projects and minimizing others.

The adjustment was required because of the loss of the wool levy and has been carried out in conjunction with the Meat & Wool New Zealand organisational restructure announced last week.

Meat & Wool chairman Mike Petersen said the dumped projects were funded directly by the wool levy.

Reducing funding for others include Sheep Improvement, down $155,000 and Californian thistle research with nearly $100,000 slashed.

Mr Petersen said there had were significant budget cuts made to the market development activity with $1 million coming out of the Europe programme and $350,000 removed from activity for sheepmeat and beef in other markets.

The skills and education programme Outstanding in the Field would be reviewed. This project has a budget of $264,000.

Mr Petersen said Meat & Wool New Zealand’s contribution, from New Zealand Meat Board funds, to the Johne’s Disease Research Consortia would reduce by $250,000.

Research and Development projects to stop include clover root weevil ($100,000), the development of alternative methods of parasite control ( ($270,000), survival and performance of multiple lambs ($183,000), forage brassica development ($32,000), facial eczema monitoring ($22,000) and grazing cattle ($15,000).

In August, sheep farmers denied the support for the organisation to continue to collect and spend a wool levy. As a result, Meat & Wool was required to restructure its activities and come up with a new plan based on a reduced income and responsibility.