NZ-China trade under strain?
The world is now amid potentially one of the most disruptive periods in world trade for a very long time.
The president of Shanghai Pengxin Investments in New Zealand, Terry Lee, says the company's future investment in the NZ dairy industry is being thwarted.
Lee says the rules imposed by the Overseas Investment Office (OIO), which approves land purchases by foreigners, need to change and be clearer for investors.
Lee says many people misunderstand Shanghai Pengxin's investment intentions; there is no fear of them taking over the country.
"This is a wrong perception about Shanghai Pengxin. There is no other Chinese company coming to NZ and buying dairy arms and we are quite small in percentage terms compared with other investors from Europe, America and Australia."
Lee says his company is also invested in real estate and hotels in NZ and is keen to build relationships here. The company would expand its interests in dairying or other types of farming if opportunities arose.
"We believe NZ is a modern country with a good legal system and well educated people," Lee says. "I hope in time NZ people will understand more about Pengxin and more about our strategy and our contribution to the local economy and society."
The company's long term strategy is to seek partnerships and joint ventures.
The 2025 South Island Agricultural Field Days (SIAFD) chairman, Rangiora farmer Andrew Stewart, is predicting a successful event on the back of good news coming out of the farming sector and with it a greater level of optimism among farmers.
WorkSafe New Zealand is calling on farmers to consider how vehicles move inside their barns and sheds, following a sentencing for a death at one of South Canterbury’s biggest agribusinesses.
Now is not the time to stop incorporating plantain into dairy pasture systems to reduce nitrogen (N) loss, says Agricom Australasia brand manager Mark Brown.
Building on the success of last year's events, the opportunity to attend People Expos is back for 2025, offering farmers the chance to be inspired and gain more tips and insights for their toolkits to support their people on farm.
Ballance Agri-Nutrients fertiliser SustaiN – which contains a urease inhibitor that reduces the amount of ammonia released to the air – has now been registered by the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI). It is the first fertiliser in New Zealand to achieve this status.
Precision application of nitrogen can improve yields, but the costs of testing currently outweigh improved returns, according to new research from Plant and Food Research, MPI and Ravensdown.
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