Editorial: KiwiSaver to the rescue?
OPINION: Farmers are rightly urging the Government to relax the rules around KiwiSaver and allow young farmers to use their savings towards purchasing either a house, cows or a farm.
Trade minister Todd McClay says he's received strong assurances that New Zealand's trade interests will not be adversely affected as a result of the Brexit vote.
McClay, in China for the G20 meeting of world trade ministers, met the EU trade commissioner Cecelia Malmström and other trade and economic ministers from Germany, France, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands. McClay says Malmström confirmed that NZ remains on track to negotiate an FTA with the EU.
"Considerable effort has been put in by both sides over the past few years as a high quality trade agreement is in all parties' interests," he told Rural News.
"We have a lot in common with the EU, including working toward further trade rules on agriculture, SMEs and services in the World Trade Organisation. This cooperation will continue, as will our access to the EU market, valued at $8.6 billion per year."
He says all parties spoke of the need for calm reflection and orderly discussions on trade.
McClay also met the UK trade minister, at the time Lord Price, and told him that NZ was interested in negotiating a two-party trade agreement with the UK once Britain was in a position to do so.
"Timing of a [two-party] agreement would depend on discussions the UK must first have with the EU, but we agreed it is in the interests of the UK and New Zealand to negotiate a high-quality agreement.... I have confirmed the NZ government will work with the UK on trade matters and look for opportunities to cooperate as soon as possible," he says.
At the G20 meeting McClay spoke to his counterparts from Argentina, US, Korea, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Mexico, Laos, Russia and China.
"The diversity of NZ trade means we are active in a wide range of markets. This meeting was an invaluable opportunity to progress our specific bilateral trade issues with these countries," he says.
Farmers appear to be backing the Government's recent Resource Management Act (RMA) reforms announcement.
For the first time, all the big names in agricultural drone technology are being brought together under one marquee at the National Fieldays.
Fonterra has announced an improved third quarter performance – with a profit after tax of $1.15 billion, up $119 million on the same period last year.
The Fieldays Innovation Awards competition has attracted a diverse and impressive array of innovations from across the primary industries, highlighting the growing importance of technology shaping the future of farming.
Coming to the fore following the carnage of Cyclone Gabrielle, Starlink became well known for providing internet access even in NZ's most inaccessible places.
From this winter farmers will have a greater choice of feed types and blend options than ever before, thanks to Farmlands' purchase of animal nutrition company SealesWinslow.
OPINION: Imagine if the Hound had called the Minister of Finance the 'c-word' and accused her of "girl math".
OPINION: It's good news that Finance Minister Nicola Willis has slashed $1.1 billion from new spending, citing "a seismic global…