Wednesday, 11 June 2025 09:55

Tough trade

Written by Milking It

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OPINION: Known for serious trade negotiations with global politicians, top NZ trade official Vangelis Vitalis also knows how to crack jokes.

He told this one at the recent DairyNZ Farmers Forum in Hamilton: A farmer found a bottle and he polished it and out pops a genie and says, "You've got two wishes". The farmer asks, "don't you normally give three". Yeah, but budget cuts, genie replies. So, the farmer answers, "Um, what I'd really like is, I don't like flying, and I'd like to have a motorway built all the way from New Zealand, all the way to Hawaii." The genie looks at him and says, "Look, that's just impossible - so ridiculously impossible. What's the second wish?"

The farmer says, "oh, okay. I'd like someone to explain to me international trade policy." And the genie looks at him and says, "Um, about that motorway, two lanes or four?"

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