Damien O’Connor: NZ united on global trade
When it comes to international trade, politicians from all sides of the aisle are united, says Labour's trade spokesman Damien O'Connor.
OPINION: Agriculture and Trade Minister Damien O'Connor tried to keep his latest overseas jaunt secret squirrel.
He took off to the US and Europe earlier this month in a desperate bid to try in breathe some life into the proposed, but faltering, free trade deals with both the UK and the EU.
However, instead of the usual month-or-so notice of his planned trip, O'Connor was planning to sneak out of NZ before letting anyone know.
Unfortunately, his covert plans were busted by a US diplomat who posted news of the trip on social media, which led O'Connor and his lackeys to hastily announce the trip.
In fact, it was so secret it appears that even those he was meeting with seemed to not know where he is from - with one photo showing O'Connor meeting with his French counterpart Franck Riester in Paris, posing next to an Australian flag.
Federated Farmers says almost 2000 farmers have signed a petition launched this month to urge the Government to step in and provide certainty while the badly broken resource consent system is fixed.
Zespri’s counter-seasonal Zespri Global Supply (ZGS) programme is underway with approximately 33 million trays, or 118,800 tonnes, expected this year from orchards throughout France, Italy, Greece, Korea, and Japan.
Animal owners can help protect life-saving antibiotics from resistant bacteria by keeping their animals healthy, says the New Zealand Veterinary Association.
According to analysis by the Meat Industry Association (MIA), New Zealand red meat exports reached $827 million in October, a 27% increase on the same period last year.
The black and white coat of Holstein- Friesian cows is globally recognised as a symbol of dairy farming and a defining trait of domestic cattle. But until recently, scientists didn’t know which genes were responsible for the Holstein’s spots.
According to the New Zealand Dairy Statistics 2024/25 report, New Zealand dairy farmers are achieving more with fewer cows.

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