ETS costs cut 66% for forest owners – McClay
Additional reductions to costs for forest owners in the Emissions Trading Scheme Registry (ETS) have been announced by the Government.
Agriculture and Trade Minister Todd McClay plans to visit India in the next fortnight, his first trade mission since the formation of the Government.
McClay told the US Business Summit in Auckland today that a free trade deal (FTA) with India is “some unfinished business” for NZ.
He notes that countries including Australia have done trade deals with India recently.
“Some of these deals are at different scales, but we can’t be left behind,” he says.
Trade Missions are a priority for the new Government. McClay hopes to lead more trade missions in the next three years than any other previous governments.
He says NZ has 15 FTAs in place and the Government will also look at how to improve these deals.
“But first we have to look at how we can sell more of our products overseas,” he says.
“We have to roll up our sleeves and start selling some more.”
McClay says he has asked his officials for a list of potential countries where trade missions could be led.
He says the Government wants to start trade missions straight away rather than leaving it until the final year, just before the next elections.
“I will be visiting India before the end of the year: we made a commitment to do this during the election campaign and we will honour that commitment.”
Fonterra’s impending exit from the Australian dairy industry is a major event but the story doesn’t change too much for farmers.
Expect greater collaboration between Massey University’s school of Agriculture and Environment and Ireland’s leading agriculture university, the University College of Dublin (UCD), in the future.
A partnership between Torere Macadamias Ltd and the Riddet Institute aims to unlock value from macadamia nuts while growing the next generation of Māori agribusiness researchers.
A new partnership between Dairy Women’s Network (DWN) and NZAgbiz aims to make evidence-based calf rearing practices accessible to all farm teams.
Despite some trying circumstances recently, the cherry season looks set to emerge on top of things.
Changed logos on shirts otherwise it will be business as usual when Fonterra’s consumer and related businesses are expected to change hands next month.

OPINION: Here w go: the election date is set for November 7 and the politicians are out of the gate…
OPINION: ECan data was released a few days ago showing Canterbury farmers have made “giant strides on environmental performance”.