fbpx
Print this page
Wednesday, 09 March 2016 09:55

Water powers milk

Written by 
Fresh milk opportunities in China should be explored among consumers there concerned about the quality of their water. Fresh milk opportunities in China should be explored among consumers there concerned about the quality of their water.

Fresh milk opportunities in China should be explored among consumers there concerned about the quality of their water, says an agricultural expert.

Special trade envoy Mike Petersen says only about 10 years ago the dairy industry was saying we shouldn't be shipping fresh milk or milk with water in it. With freight costs it was more efficient to dry it for shipping around the world.

"But New Zealand's comparative advantage is water, and food is virtually water, and many countries now are importing food because they don't have enough water to grow their own," he says.

"We have to think about this smartly; there are real opportunities for us and people understand that the integrity of food production is important when you get it from a single source.

"In NZ the opportunity for us has to be in fresh products that can contain the water – that is part of the story."

More like this

Still a slow boat to China!

Hopes of NZ sheepmeat prices picking up anytime soon in the country's key export market of China looks highly unlikely.

Crackdown on Chinese use of Zespri IP

Authorities in China have clamped down on companies in that country which have been packaging and selling their own local fruit under the Zespri brand.

Featured

National

Green but not much grass!

Dairy farmers in the lower North Island are working on protecting next season, according to Federated Farmers dairy chair Richard…

Council lifeline for A&P Show

Christchurch City Council and the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association (CAPA) have signed an agreement which will open more of…

Struggling? Give us a call

ASB head of rural banking Aidan Gent is encouraging farmers to speak to their banks when they are struggling.

Machinery & Products

Tractor, harvester IT comes of age

Over the last halfdecade, digital technology has appeared to be the “must-have” for tractor and machinery companies, who believe that…