Native Forest Champions Honoured at Fieldays 2026
Forestry Minister Todd McClay has today congratulated the winners of the 2026 Growing Native Forests Champions Awards at Fieldays.
MEAT, FORESTRY and dairy all contributed to seasonally adjusted export volumes falling 5.3% in the June quarter, while import volumes rose 3.6%, Statistics New Zealand says.
"Export volumes recorded their largest fall since the March 2008 quarter," international statistics manager Jason Attewell says. "This was due to falls from high levels in key primary products."
Seasonally adjusted meat export volumes fell 8.3%, forestry volumes fell 8.3%, and dairy volumes fell 2%.
Seasonally adjusted import volumes rose 3.6%, continuing a series of rises that began at the start of 2013. Capital goods led the rise this quarter, accompanied by rises in other key import groupings.
The trend for import volumes has been rising for seven consecutive quarters – by a total of 19%.
The terms of trade for goods rose 0.3% due to export prices falling less than import prices. "This is the lowest of six consecutive quarterly rises for the terms of trade, which is now 1.3% below its all-time high in the June 1973 quarter," Attewell says/
Terms of trade is a measure of the purchasing power of New Zealand's exports abroad. An increase means New Zealand can buy more imports for the same amount of exports.
A strengthening New Zealand dollar had a downward influence on import and export prices.
The price of exported goods fell 2%, with dairy prices falling 4.3% and forestry product prices falling 6.5% (influenced by a large fall in log prices).
Prices for imported goods fell 2.3%.. The fall was broad based. Petroleum and petroleum products (down 3.9%, due to lower prices for crude oil) contributed the most to the overall fall.
The price and volume indexes for exports and imports of goods are compiled mainly from overseas merchandise trade data.
Money invested to protect native bush, wetlands and other special habitats on farms is paying huge dividends.
A central Canterbury business which turns malting barley into a key ingredient in beer making has celebrated its 100% New Zealand-grown status with a special event.
A farm shed solution to a long-standing safety problem has captured the public’s vote in the Fieldays Innovation Awards with AWS, with Waikato dairy farmer Warren Storey’s invention The PostMate, winning the 2026 Fieldays Innovation Awards People’s Choice Award, supported by KingSt. Advertising.
OPINION: The latest update from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) on the state of NZ's primary sector paints a positive picturee about its performance over the past 12 months.
The recently signed free trade agreement with India is an invitation to strengthen relationships between the New Zealand and Indian strong wool industries, says Wool Impact chief executive Andy Caughey.
Analysis of decades of research has revealed the implementation of good farming practices plays a critical role in reducing nutrient losses to improve freshwater outcomes.

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