Red meat industry hails new migrant visa rules as win for jobs and exports
New Zealand's red meat processing and exporting sector has welcomed the government's announcement of new work visas.
OPINION: The New Zealand red meat sector, with support from the Government, has upped the ante to retain and expand its niche in the valuable Chinese market - and the signs are looking positive.
The market is worth over $3 billion a year to the meat sector, even in hard times such as the past year when issues within the Chinese economy have seen consumers more restrained in their buying habits - a factor that has affected NZ.
To overcome the challenges in that market and to reinforce their commitment to China, a few weeks ago the Meat Industry Association and all the companies that export meat to China exhibited at the 7th China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai. It's a huge event that over a week attracts close to half a million visitors - many of them buyers of our products.
The NZ red meat sector was there in style with a stand at the NZ pavilion where samples of our lamb and beef were dished out to attendees. Also, the individual companies got out there are showing off their latest innovative products and interacting with their buyers and business partners.
NZ took advantage of CIIE to launch an $8 million surgically focused publicity campaign called Taste Pure Nature (TPN) to woo Chinese consumers to buy our grass-fed meat and differentiate our high-quality meat products from other countries who have gained a hold in the market. What is special with this campaign is that it's industry led and the buy-in to it has been strong and supportive.
The response to the launch of TPN and the high-profile presence by NZ at CIIE has by all accounts been very positive about the future - something that's been lacking for the past year or so.
After talking to buyers and customers, those attending the expo all say they are now optimistic about the future. Sure we may not see some of the high prices there of a few years ago, but wealthy Chinese consumers are looking for the high quality nutritious and sustainable products that we produce. It looks like being a happy new year.
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.
DairyNZ says its plantain programme continues to deliver promising results, with new data confirming that modest levels of plantain in pastures reduce nitrogen leaching, offering farmers a practical, science-backed tool to meet environmental goals.
'Common sense' cuts to government red tape will make it easier for New Zealand to deliver safe food to more markets.
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.