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 outcomes of the G20 Trade Ministers' meeting held in Shanghai July 9-10, are likely to be extremely important for New Zealand's trade interests.
"This was a positive meeting for our core interests in trade and investment," says McClay.
"There is a clear political will to build on the successes of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Nairobi Ministerial last year, which agreed to eliminate agricultural export subsidies, and to make progress towards concluding an Environmental Goods Agreement."
In respect of the WTO, G20 ministers have committed to advance negotiations in a number of areas, including on the trade-distorting effects of agricultural domestic support.
McClay says this is vitally important to New Zealand's export interests and would be welcome news to our rural sector.
"While much remains to be done, this meeting has been a useful step in the process toward the next WTO ministerial in 2017," says McClay.
G20 ministers negotiating the WTO Environmental Goods Agreement also reaffirmed their intention to conclude an ambitious agreement and to do so quickly, seeking to finish later this year.
"New Zealand has been a strong advocate of the Environmental Goods Agreement and I have pushed for an outcome that has clear benefits for both trade and the environment whilst in Shanghai. A successful outcome in this area could be beneficial for New Zealand trade," says McClay.
While at the G20 meeting, McClay had bilateral discussions with counterparts from a number of countries including Argentina, United States, Korea, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Mexico, Laos, Russia, and China.
"The diversity of New Zealand 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."
New Zealand was one of only two non-G20 members to be invited by China to attend the trade ministers' meeting.
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…