NZ Exporters Urge Politicians to Finalise India Free Trade Deal
New Zealand exporters are putting the blowtorch on politicians to get the free trade deal with India over the line.
Meat Industry Association chief executive, Sirma Karapeeva, says she hopes that National Lamb Day will now take place every year.
She was one of many industry leaders who attended the BBQ at Parliament recently to commemorate the first export of frozen sheep meat to the UK in 1882.
She says it is exciting to publicly celebrate the success of the industry and to acknowledge the fabulous job that farmers and processors and others in the sector are doing.
Karapeeva says the BBQ at Parliament and all the events that have happened around National Lamb Day were exciting.
"We Kiwis should be a little more forward-leaning and much more proud of what we have achieved," she told Rural News.
"When you look at where we started and where we are today, it's a remarkable achievement. We are quite humble folk, and we just take it for granted and don't necessarily stand for a lot of pomp and ceremony and that stuff," she says.
Karapeeva says what NZ has achieved over the years took a lot of hard work and that needs to be acknowledged. She says the country has moved massively in 40 years from the days of freezing works to highly sophisticated processors.
"No longer do you get those mass carcasses being exported as a very low value commodity. Our processing companies are exporting food to discerning consumers all around the world and that is a huge shift," she says.
Penske Australia & New Zealand has appointed Stephen Kelly as the general manager of its Penske NZ operations, effective immediately In this role he will oversee all NZ branch operations, including energy solutions, mining, commercial vehicles, defence, marine, and rail, while continuing to be based at Penske’s Christchurch branch.
According to the latest Federated Farmers-Rabobank Farm Remuneration Report, released today, farm worker pay growth has levelled off after a post-Covid period of rapid growth.
The Climate Change Commission has recommended maintaining the current New Zealand Emissions Trading System (NZ ETS) settings but warns of a potential unit shortfall as early as 2028.
The Conservative Party warns that the upcoming free trade agreement between New Zealand and India may prioritise increased labour mobility while offering limited reassurance for New Zealand workers.
Southland District Council says it is actively managing the impacts of the current fuel supply challenges to ensure essential services across the district continue to operate safely and reliably.
A large crowd turned out for the last of the field days of the three finalists in this years Ahuwhenua Trophy to determine the top Maori horticulture entity in Aotearoa New Zealand

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