increase font size
Mike Petersen.
NZ’s special agricultural trade envoy Mike Petersen says the latest tariff-rate quota (TRQ) proposal from Britain and the EU is puzzling.
The Meat Industry Association (MIA) says the proposal is absolute nonsense, is unnecessary and is premature.
Petersen, a sheep and beef farmer from Waipukurau, says for the UK and EU to claim that the 50:50 TRQ split is consistent with other deals done is nonsense and puzzling. Petersen says NZ worked hard in the 1970s and early 1980s to get a fair deal and especially the flexibility in the present deal.
“NZ’s argument has always been clear and considered: that we do not think there is a need to split these TRQs even if Brexit goes ahead as currently planned,” he told Rural News.
“The ability to have flexibility for NZ exporters to sell to the highest value market right across Europe is not just a benefit for NZ farmers, it is benefit a for UK and EU farmers as well. We are not looking for windfall gain out of this, but NZ will be worse off under the current proposal and we are saying under WTO rules that principle is absolutely rock solid in that no country should be worse off after notifying a change.”
Petersen says many issues on Brexit are unresolved and the filing of this latest schedule doesn’t make sense.
OPINION: New economic modelling confirms what many of us in Hawke's Bay have long understood - getting water security right for this region is one of the most important decisions we face as a community. Not just for farmers, but for everyone who lives, works and builds a future here.
Scales Corporation has today reported its results for the first half of the 2025 financial year, revealing what it says are outstanding results from its horticulture and logistics divisions.
Former special agricultural trade envoy Mike Petersen says meat exporters are going to have to be nimble and agile to take advantage of any opportunities that may arise in the chaos of the tariff crisis.
Be ready to be nimble. That's the message to New Zealand primary exporters from international trade expert, company director and farmer Mike Petersen.
Mike Petersen is one person who's closely monitoring the progress of the FTA with the EU.
Potatoes New Zealand has congratulated Peter Reynolds of TA Reynolds Ltd in Pukekohe on being awarded the Horticulture New Zealand Bledisloe Cup, recognising a lifetime of service and contribution to New Zealand horticulture.
Signing up to a benchmarking tool is not about competition, but about improving collectively, says Ximena Puig and Alvaro Luzardo who are 50-50 sharemilkers at a 164-hectare (effective) dairy farm in Eketāhuna in the Lower North Island.
A leading British farming politician says he's impressed with the positive attitude of New Zealand farmers that he met during his recent trip here.
OPINION: With 10,500 dairy farms, New Zealand continues to punch above its weight around the world.
The Southern Dairy Hub (SDH), which runs a demonstration farm for South Island farmers, has a new general manager.
Esther Guy-Meakin has been announced as the new chief executive of the New Zealand Meat Board (NZMB).
A fair question has been raised about how member-funded organisations should conduct themselves when taking a public position on any…
OPINION: It really is getting harder to lampoon government bureaucrats when they do such a good job of it themselves.…
