Hectre Opens Auckland Lab for Hyperspectral Fruit Research
A new fruit quality research laboratory has been opened in Auckland by agritech company Hectre to develop pioneering hyperspectral technology.
Agriculture and Trade Minister Todd McClay plans to visit India in the next fortnight, his first trade mission since the formation of the Government.
McClay told the US Business Summit in Auckland today that a free trade deal (FTA) with India is “some unfinished business” for NZ.
He notes that countries including Australia have done trade deals with India recently.
“Some of these deals are at different scales, but we can’t be left behind,” he says.
Trade Missions are a priority for the new Government. McClay hopes to lead more trade missions in the next three years than any other previous governments.
He says NZ has 15 FTAs in place and the Government will also look at how to improve these deals.
“But first we have to look at how we can sell more of our products overseas,” he says.
“We have to roll up our sleeves and start selling some more.”
McClay says he has asked his officials for a list of potential countries where trade missions could be led.
He says the Government wants to start trade missions straight away rather than leaving it until the final year, just before the next elections.
“I will be visiting India before the end of the year: we made a commitment to do this during the election campaign and we will honour that commitment.”
Three men have been sentenced in District Courts after Ministry for Primary Industries prosecutions over animal welfare, food safety and cattle tracing offences.
Fonterra’s 2026 financial year was a year of delivery, with record volumes of milk collected, processed and shipped by the co-op.
OPINION: The Government's decision to reinstate agriculture and horticultural science as a standalone subject from Year 11 is the right one.
Dairy farmers, still holding onto their Fonterra shares despite switching milk supply elsewhere or exiting the industry, now face a stricter share sell-down requirement.
Hamilton-based agritech company Aimer Farming has completed a $3 million capital raise to support its next stage of growth, including a beef farming product due to launch in 2027.
When dairy manager Miriam Lauridsen learned the farm, she was joining held weekly health and safety meetings, she initially thought that was “a bit over the top”. Experiencing that culture changed her mind.

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