Co-op boosts chilled exports to China
Alliance Group has secured greater access for chilled beef exports to China, following approval for two of its processing plants to supply the market.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) says recent criticism from the UK’s Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs regarding New Zealand’s animal welfare standards are unfounded.
Last week, in an opinion piece in The Telegraph defending the UK Government’s controversial inheritance tax on farms, Steve Reed claimed the United Kingdom-New Zealand free trade agreement (FTA) signed in 2022 allowed for the import of meat products which were “produced to welfare and environmental standards so low they would be illegal in the UK”.
The claim has been roundly refuted by B+LNZ’s UK-based regional manager, Alex Gowen, who says the industry good body is taking the criticism seriously, reaching out directly to the UK Government, farmer organisations, and the UK media to address the claims.
In addressing the issue, he says, B+LNZ is also enlisting support from the New Zealand Government.
“It is simply not good enough,” says Gowen.
“We are calling for UK politicians to focus on facts, not misinformation that undermines generations of trust between British and New Zealand farmers,” he says.
“We value collaboration over division,” he adds. “If we were to compete, let it be on the rugby field, not through political grandstanding.”
B+LNZ chair Kate Acland has also written to Reed, saying that the statement he made was categorically false and undermined the reputation of New Zealand farmers.
She points out that animal welfare and sustainability were pivotal during the FTA negotiations, adding that the inclusion of a standalone chapter on animal welfare within the FTA was the first of its kind.
She notes that while farming systems may differ from those in the UK, this did not equate to lower animal welfare standards.
“Our robust regulatory framework, bolstered by comprehensive assurance schemes, ensures exceptional animal welfare by allowing livestock to live as naturally as possible,” she writes.
She has invited Reed to New Zealand to observe the country’s farming systems first-hand.
Farmlands says that improved half-year results show that the co-op’s tight focus on supporting New Zealand’s farmers and growers is working.
Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) says that discovery of a male Oriental fruit fly on Auckland’s North Shore is a cause for concern for growers.
Fonterra says its earnings for the 2025 financial year are anticipated to be in the upper half of its previously forecast earnings range of 40-60 cents per share.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) is having another crack at increasing the fees of its chair and board members.
Livestock management tech company Nedap has launched Nedap New Zealand.
An innovative dairy effluent management system is being designed to help farmers improve on-farm effluent practices and reduce environmental impact.
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