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Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor says the move to ban live exports by sea puts New Zealand in step with like-minded partners on the importance of animal welfare.
Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor is unrepentant about the ban on live exports by sea, hailing it as putting New Zealand in step wth like-minded partners on the importance of animal welfare.
He says Australia has moved to phase-out the live export of sheep, and animal welfare standards are bedded into our FTAs with the UK and the EU.
"Recent talk of restarting live exports by sea simply ignores the reality that our consumers overseas take issues of sustainability, climate and animal welfare seriously, which is why they're reflected in our recent FTAs," he says.
O'Connor says in a market where consumers are becoming more and more discerning about ethical and environmental credentials, his government has moved to ensure that NZ's reputation for ethical trade is not at risk.
OPINION: Public opinion, political pragmatism and commercial and market reality have caused the Government to abandon introducing legislation into Parliament to legalise the shipment by sea of live animals - mainly cows - to overseas destinations.
Exporters of live animals by sea say the decision by the coalition Government to go back on its word to reinstate the live export trade is "mysterious and disappointing".
When it comes to international trade, politicians from all sides of the aisle are united, says Labour's trade spokesman Damien O'Connor.
OPINION: Legislation being drafted to bring back the controversial trade of live animal exports by sea is getting stuck in the cogs of Cabinet.
Shipments of live animals by sea should be possible in the second half of next year, according to Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard.
New Zealand's diverse cheesemaking talent shone brightly last night as the New Zealand Specialist Cheesemakers Association (NZSCA) crowned the champions of the 2026 New Zealand Cheese Awards.
Tracing has indicated that the source of the first velvetleaf find of the 2025-26 crop season, in Auckland, was likely maize purchased in the Waikato region.
Fish & Game New Zealand has announced its election priorities in its Manifesto 2026.
With the forage maize harvest started in Northland and the Waikato, the Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) is telling growers of later crops, or those further south, to start checking their maize crop maturity about three weeks prior to when they think they will start silage harvesting.
Irrigation NZ is warning that the government's Resource Management Act (RMA) reform risks falling short of its objectives unless water use for food production and water storage infrastructure are clearly recognised in the goals at the top of the new system.
More than five million trays, or 18,000 tonnes, of Zespri’s RubyRed Kiwifruit will soon be available for consumers across 16 markets this season.
