Red meat exports slump, thanks to China
Weaker pricing and demand from China continue to impact New Zealand red meat export earnings.
Chinese scientists have signed a deal to set up a commercial animal cloning centre in the northern port city of Tianjin.
It will produce 100,000 beef cattle embryos initially, increasing to one million.
The plant in the Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Area (TEDA), a government-sponsored business development park, will also clone sniffer and pet dogs and racehorses. Its main building is now being built and is due to open in the first half of 2016.
Sinica, a subsidiary of Boyalife Group, which focuses on stem cell and regenerative medicine, signed the agreement with the TEDA this month.
Chinese farmers are struggling to produce enough beef cattle to meet market demand, said Xu Xiaochun, board chairman of Boyalife Group.
Scientists have cloned mice, cattle and other animals since the world's first cloned sheep, Dolly, was born on July 5, 1996 in Britain. Since 2000, Chinese scientists have cloned sheep, cattle and pigs.
China's first cloning company was set up in September 2014 in the eastern Shandong Province, first birthing three pure-blood Tibetan mastiff puppies. The firm is a joint venture between Boyalife and Sooam Biotech.
Until then cloning in China had been limited to scientific research.
South Waikato farm manager Ben Purua’s amazing transformation from gang life to milking cows was rewarded with the Ahuwhenua Young Maori Farmer award last night.
Bankers have been making record profits in the last few years, but those aren’t the only records they’ve been breaking, says Federated Farmers vice president Richard McIntyre.
The 2023-24 season has been a roller coaster ride for Waikato dairy farmers, according to Federated Farmers dairy section chair, Mathew Zonderop.
Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) director general Ray Smith says job cuts announced this morning will not impact the way the Ministry is organised or merge business units.
Scales Corporation is acquiring a number of orchard assets from Bostock Group.
Family and solidarity shone through at the 75 years of Ferdon sale in Otorohanga last month.