US tariffs boost NZ wool carpet export opportunity
A 50% tariff slapped by the US on goods from India last month has opened an opportunity for New Zealand wool carpets exports to North America.
The Government announced this morning that it will be supporting a new project with New Zealand wool carpets company Bremworth.
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) will contribute $1.9 million towards Bremworth's $4.9 million sustainability project through its Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures (SFF Futures) fund.
Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor says the programme will involve research and development of natural and green chemistry-based alternatives to the few remaining synthetic components of woollen carpets.
O'Connor says that a rise in synthetic carpets has severely affected the wool industry.
"I'm told that an average Kiwi household laid with synthetic carpet is expected to have the equivalent weight of 22,000 plastic shopping bags on its floor. That's a compelling reason to use sustainable wool wherever we can to make healthy homes for Kiwis and the world.
"More than ever consumers are considering the entire life-cycle of products. We believe this programme will spur demand for New Zealand strong wool and enhance our manufacturing competitiveness through strong environmental credentials that challenge industry norms."
He says that revitalising the strong wool sector is a key component of delivering the Government's Fit for a Better World roadmap, released in 2020.
"Ultimately we hope it will benefit New Zealand's strong wool sector, with better returns for our farmers and manufacturers, and supporting their communities.
"If we get this right, then that's a compelling yarn we can sell to our markets abroad," O'Connor says.
NZPork has appointed Auckland-based Paul Bucknell as its new chair.
The Government claims to have delivered on its election promise to protect productive farmland from emissions trading scheme (ETS) but red meat farmers aren’t happy.
Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks could have a detrimental impact on any country's rural sector, as seen in the United Kingdom's 2000 outbreak that saw the compulsory slaughter of over six million animals.
The Ministry for the Environment is joining as a national award sponsor in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA from next year).
Kiwis are wasting less of their food than they were two years ago, and this has been enough to push New Zealand’s total household food waste bill lower, the 2025 Rabobank KiwiHarvest Food Waste survey has found.
OPINION: Sir Lockwood Smith has clearly and succinctly defined what academic freedom is all about, the boundaries around it and the responsibility that goes with this privilege.
OPINION: For years, the ironically named Dr Mike Joy has used his position at Victoria University to wage an activist-style…
OPINION: A mate of yours truly has had an absolute gutsful of the activist group SAFE.