Caviar of the future

Agriculture in NZ has a big future, says Chapman. 

“We are a food bowl, there is no doubt,” he told Rural News. “We must protect our biosecurity; we need to protect our borders and the fact that we are seen as a supplier of quality food through different parts of the world.

“We need to make sure we hang onto that NZ Inc brand because we are not a low cost producer any more. 

“There are a lot of countries around the world that can produce that same product cheaper than us but we have a reputation as delivering quality safe products.”

Chapman says he can’t remember the last time sheepmeat, beef meat and wool were well ahead of dairy, as they are now.

The red meat sector in NZ has bright prospects. “Grass-fed meat out of NZ is potentially the caviar of the future,” he says.

“So for me the sheep and cattle future looks extremely bright and exciting.”