'Grand Alliance' growing grass-fed beef exports to China
Alliance Group and Grand Farm have signed a strategic co-operation agreement with a focus on delivering more premium New Zealand grass-fed beef to Chinese consumers.
When Lincoln Agritech took on a Chinese student, Zheng (James) Wang, it didn’t foresee him becoming the company’s China business development manager.
“James’ international agricultural experience and lingual skills made him a pivotal part of our company’s expansion into China,” says Lincoln Agritech chief executive Peter Barrowclough.
He met Wang through ChristchurchNZ’s Job Ready programme that helps link overseas students and Christchurch businesses. Wang was keen to join the agritech firm during his final year at Lincoln University.
Drawing on marketing skills and experience in China, Wang devised a plan to help Lincoln Agritech further market Irricad, its irrigation design software, in the Chinese market. He spent several months understanding the market for irrigation in China and reported on sales opportunities there.
Barrowclough offered Wang a fulltime job.
Now Wang and Barrowclough are just back from China where they talked to distributors and explored market opportunities.
Wang says the internship enabled him to connect with local businesses in Christchurch and leverage his international agricultural experience.
“The internship offered me an opportunity to work on an industry report relevant to the irrigation sector and an opportunity to use my bilingual skills,” he says.
“Lincoln Agritech had identified China as a market for Irricad... and begun forming relationships in China in 2014. The Chinese government’s initiative to adopt smart irrigation systems for improving water use efficiency also helped the company’s mission.”
The ChristchurchNZ Job Ready programme gives companies access to talent for their business needs. Project manager Simon Anderson says Christchurch “is home to an amazing tertiary sector and we’re producing some great graduates”.
Lincoln Agritech was recently announced as a finalist at the Westpac Champion Business Awards in the Christchurch NZ Champion Innovation category.
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.
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