Project takes aim at pasture persistence problem
Farmers are welcoming a $17 million, seven-year collaborative science and research programme to lift pasture persistence and productivity.
The dairy industry will be a major beneficiary of a new free trade deal between NZ and the Gulf Co-operation Council whose members include Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
The deal was announced recently by Trade Minister Todd McClay who described it as the highest quality deal the GCC has done to date and its first with a major agricultural exporter.
He says it delivers duty free access for 99% of New Zealand's exports over 10 years and when combined with the recently concluded NZ-UAE CEPA, 51% of NZ exports to the region will be tariff-free from day one.
"The NZ and GCC trade is worth over $3 billion annually, with New Zealand exporting $2.6 billion in the year to June 2024. This includes $1.8 billion of dairy, $260 million of red meat, $72 million of horticulture and $70 million of travel and tourism services," he says.
Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand (DCANZ) welcomes this deal along with the other recent deal between NZ and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
DCANZ executive director Kimberly Crewther says NZ exported approximately $1.9 billion worth of dairy products to the GCC region in the last year.
"This makes the GCC region our second-largest dairy market after China.
"Locking in elimination of the already low tariffs on key dairy products into this highly valuable market provides important commercial certainty for dairy exporters," she says.
Crewther says Trade Minister Todd McClay and NZ's trade negotiators should be congratulated on the conclusion of these negotiations.
She says the fact that NZ is the first major dairy exporter to secure a free trade agreement with the GCC is very significant and DCANZ commends the Government for this outcome.
"We strongly encourage the Government to maintain momentum and ambition to bring down barriers with other negotiating partners, including upgrading existing trade agreements that have not yet secured dairy tariff elimination," she says.
Meanwhile, the executive director of the NZ International Business Forum, Stephen Jacobi, says the deal should enable further expansion of trade with the GCC's six members in the Middle East. He says the GCC region is NZ's seventh largest export destination and this new agreement puts the final touch on the framework for expanding trade ties in the region.
"We see potential to grow our exports to the GCC in the dairy, sheep, meat, seafood, horticulture and wood products sectors.
"There is also increasing interest in vital services such as ICT, education, environmental and professional services. There are also new opportunities for GCC goods, services and investment in our market," he says.
Newly elected Federated Farmers meat and wool group chair Richard Dawkins says he will continue the great work done his predecessor Toby Williams.
Hosted by ginger dynamo Te Radar, the Fieldays Innovation Award Winners Event put the spotlight on the agricultural industry's most promising ideas.
According to DairyNZ's latest Econ Tracker update, there has been a rise in the forecast breakeven milk price for the 2025/26 season.
Despite the rain and a liberal coating of mud, engines roared, and the 50th Fieldays Tractor Pull Competition drew crowds of spectators across the four days of the annual event.
Nationwide rural wellbeing programme, Farmstrong recently celebrated its tenth birthday at Fieldays with an event attended by ambassador Sam Whitelock, Farmers Mutual Group (FMG), Farmstrong partners, and government Ministers.
Six industry organisations, including DairyNZ and the Dairy Companies Association (DCANZ) have signed an agreement with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to prepare the country for a potential foot and mouth outbreak.
OPINION: ACT MP Mark Cameron isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but he certainly calls it how he sees it, holding…
OPINION: Did former PM Jacinda Ardern get fawning reviews for her book?