China’s new beef tariffs expected to favour New Zealand exporters
Additional tariffs introduced by the Chinese Government last month on beef imports should favour New Zealand farmers and exporters.
Beef exports are up 46%($61 million) in August 2015 compared with August 2014, says Statistics New Zealand.
"With one month to go in the 2014/15 beef export season, beef exports are at a new high of $3 billion," says international statistics senior manager, Jason Attewell.
"So far this season, 404,000 tonnes of beef have been exported, and if we export at least 18,000 tonnes next month we'll surpass the peak 2003/04 season for quantity exported."
The US remains our top beef export destination this season, for both value and quantity.
Beef export values to the US have hit a record high of $1.6 billion (up 64%) for the season to date, with quantities up 21% compared with this time last year.
Beef export values to China continued to increase, up 88% for the season to date, to $394 million, with quantities up 52% compared with this time last year. "International shortages, rising production, and a falling New Zealand dollar have contributed to this record beef season." says Attewell.
The sale of Fonterra’s global consumer and related businesses is expected to be completed within two months.
Fonterra is boosting its butter production capacity to meet growing demand.
For the most part, dairy farmers in the Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Tairawhiti and the Manawatu appear to have not been too badly affected by recent storms across the upper North Island.
South Island dairy production is up on last year despite an unusually wet, dull and stormy summer, says DairyNZ lower South Island regional manager Jared Stockman.
Following a side-by-side rolling into a gully, Safer Farms has issued a new Safety Alert.
Coming in at a year-end total at 3088 units, a rise of around 10% over the 2806 total for 2024, the signs are that the New Zealand farm machinery industry is turning the corner after a difficult couple of years.

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