Tough trade
OPINION: Known for serious trade negotiations with global politicians, top NZ trade official Vangelis Vitalis also knows how to crack jokes.
Prime Minister John Key has praised the dairy industry for driving innovation and technology at the opening of Waikato Milking Systems new $13 million building in Hamilton today.
Key says the use of innovation and science is helping the industry succeed.
He says the size of the New Zealand dairy industry is often misunderstood overseas.
"When I go out and negotiate free trade deals around the world, people often think that we are bigger than we actually are,' he says.
"We only produce 3% of the world's milk; the issue is we are the biggest exporter because of our small domestic population.
"So, we export bulk of what we produce."
Key says New Zealand's dairy industry does this in "a completely unsubsidised way" and is still successful.
And part of the reason of this success is what companies like WMS do.
Key says WMS is driving innovation and technology and use of science.
"Anyone can milk cows and own big cows; the difficult issue to get level of production and productivity that that we getting."
Key also praised WMS for not only developing milking technology but exporting it around the world.
This is crucial to New Zealand's success, he says.
A major milestone on New Zealand's unique journey to eradicate Mycoplasma bovis could come before the end of this year.
We're working through it, and we'll get to it.
The debate around New Zealand's future in the Paris Agreement is heating up.
A technical lab manager for Apata, Phoebe Scherer, has won the Bay of Plenty 2025 Young Grower regional title.
Following heavy rain which caused flooding in parts of Nelson-Tasman and sewerage overflows in Marlborough, the Insurance & Financial Services Ombudsman Scheme (IFSO Scheme) is urging homeowners and tenants to be cautious when cleaning up and to take the right steps to support claims.
Newly elected Federated Farmers meat and wool group chair Richard Dawkins says he will continue the great work done his predecessor Toby Williams.