UK welcomed to CPTPP
New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins says the United Kingdom’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is great news for the region and New Zealand.
OPINION: On the face of it, the recent free trade deal announced with the United Kingdom appears to be a big win for New Zealand's farming sector.
Plaudits have, rightly, been heaped on the NZ negotiators from all sections of the NZ farming landscape.
There is little doubt that they were able to take advantage of the UK's desire to secure new trade deals in the wake of Brexit and its keenness to join the CPTPP to gain a favourable result. Good on them!
While the deal is still only an 'agreement in principle', when it comes to fruition the opportunities for NZ's primary sector look very good.
The deal sees a mix of instant access and transition periods for many of our key agricultural goods. It's been predicted that the deal could be worth a billion a year to NZ when it comes to full force.
Red meat producers may be somewhat disappointed with the long lead-in time to full access to the UK, but the reality was this was always going to be tough to get over the line.
We have already seen its Red Tractor food assurance scheme make false claims about some of the animal welfare and quality issues of NZ farm produce compared to its British equivalents.
Meanwhile, National Farmers Union president Minette Batters has claimed that UK farm businesses face significantly higher costs of production than farmers in New Zealand and Australia.
It is on this note that NZ farmers will want to carefully read the actual details of the deal when it is finally published. British farmers currently face a number of severe bureaucratic regulatory restrictions in the way they farm - so watch out for similar restrictive practices and stipulations weaved into the fine print of this deal.
If NZ farmers currently think the proposed climate change, freshwater, biosecurity and animal welfare (etc, etc) regulations they are currently getting dished up are tough, then just wait to see what our negotiators have promised the Brits in this deal.
Remember, when something looks far too good to be true, it usually is!
The country’s 4200 commercial fruit and vegetable growers will vote from May 14 on a new HortNZ levy.
Meat processor Alliance Group is asking farmer shareholders to inject more capital in order to remain a 100% co-operative.
A vet is calling for all animals to be vaccinated against a new strain of leptospirosis (lepto) discovered on New Zealand dairy farms in recent years.
Dairy
Rural banker Rabobank is partnering with Food Rescue Kitchen on a new TV series which airs this weekend that aims to shine a light on the real and growing issues of food waste, food poverty and social isolation in New Zealand.
Telco infrastructure provider Chorus says that it believes all Kiwis – particularly those in the rural areas – need access to high-speed, reliable broadband.
OPINION: The new government has clearly signalled big cuts across the public service.
OPINION: Your canine crusader is not surprised by the recent news that New Zealand plant-based ‘fake meat’ business is in…