Chicken prices on the rise
New Zealand poultry supplier Tegel will raise its prices from this month.
Raw poultry meat imports could threaten the NZ industry’s unique disease-free status, says Poultry Industry Association executive director Michael Brook.
In the last couple of years, imports of turkey have been allowed into NZ for the first time. The Americans are starting to export turkey to NZ.
Imports are a huge issue for us as an industry. NZ is a unique country in respect of the poultry diseases it has. There are three major poultry diseases, avian influenza (bird flu), Newcastle disease and Infectious bursal disease also known as Gumboro disease.
Every other country has one or more of those diseases; NZ has none of them. On that basis we have always argued strongly against importing raw product.
“With the turkey that is coming in there are a lot of conditions around it, nevertheless it is coming in,” Brooks says. The Government and MPI have talked for years about potentially importing raw chicken.
“We would be extremely concerned about the importation of raw chicken into this country – not only for the industry. But when you think about NZ, it is unique in another way: its native fauna is avian; avian diseases could have an impact on our fauna,” Brooks says.
He believes NZ’s disease-free status has offered the its industry new opportunities in the breeding and supply of day-old chicks.
The main global suppliers have had issues with their base breeding farms in the US or UK being threatened by Avian flu. One of the companies is building a third global base in Huntly to breed millions of day-old chicks to send to Asia.
Weaker pricing and demand from China continue to impact New Zealand red meat export earnings.
Fonterra has cemented its position as the country’s number one cheesemaker by picking up nine NZ Champion of Cheese trophies this year.
New Zealand dairy processors are welcoming the Government’s commitment to continuing to push for Canada to honour its trade commitments.
An educational programme, set up by Beef + Land New Zealand, to connect farmers virtually with primary and intermediate school students has reported the successful completion of its second year.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has welcomed a resolution adopted by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly to declare 2026 International Year of the Woman Farmer.
Horticulture NZ chief executive Nadine Tunley will step down in August.