Government Amends Stock Exclusion Regulations for Low-Intensity Grazing
The Government has announced changes to stock exclusion regulations which it claims will cut unnecessary costs and inflexible rules while maintaining environmental protections.
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.”
Dougal Morrison has been elected as the new President of the New Zealand Farm Forestry Association (NZFFA).
Perrin Ag has appointed Vicky Ferris as its new Hawke's Bay consultant.
The New Zealand National Fieldays Society is encouraging teachers to register school groups for the 2026 National Fieldays, set to be held at Mystery Creek Events Centre from 10-13 June.
The appointment of Richard Allen as Fonterra's new chief executive signals execution, not strategy, according to agribusiness expert Dr Nic Lees.
Potatoes New Zealand has become much more than a grower body, according to Pukekohe grower Bharat Bhana.
The country's kiwifruit growers seem to have escaped much of the predicted wrath of Cyclone Vaianu which hit the east coast of the North Island this month.