Silver Fern Farms has made a half-year loss of $14.3 million before tax from revenue, affected by fewer lambs to kill and a high dollar.

But SFF chief executive Keith Cooper remains upbeat, saying it will make a profit by year's end.

Revenue for New Zealand's largest meat processor fell to $784.3 million in its interim result for the six months ending February.

That’s $217 million less than last year's first half.

After this season's poor start, its meat plants were running at full capacity in March and April and the co-operative has already recouped the losses of the first six months and is now in a profit.