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Variable profitability within New Zealand's red meat sector has again led to the problematisation of its constitutive relationships. This problematisation has almost inevitably focused on the structural transformation of the sector. Rather than beginning with structural transformation, we draw on assemblage theory to trace the assembling work associated with three unstable bio-economic projects: Primera lamb, Wagyu beef and FarmIQ. The paper offers a cautionary assessment of experimentation and innovation in the red meat sector, and suggests that the search for an enduring structural solution will continually be disrupted by the lively materialities upon which the red meat sector relies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]