Editorial: NZ's great China move
OPINION: The New Zealand red meat sector, with support from the Government, has upped the ante to retain and expand its niche in the valuable Chinese market - and the signs are looking positive.
New Zealand's meat processing and exporting industry is calling on the Government to prioritise its workforce for Covid-19 vaccinations.
Meat Industry Association (MIA) chief executive Sirma Karapeeva says the processing sector was recognised as a high-risk industry for transmission of the virus, due to the large numbers of people working closely together. She says Australia and the United States have already prioritised meat processing workers for vaccination because Covid-19 spread extremely rapidly in processing plants.
“US research has found that processing plants acted as transmission vectors, accelerating the spread of the virus into the surrounding population,” she says. “The New Zealand red meat industry took decisive action to proactively develop and implement safety protocols, which provide guidance and a minimum standard to enable our processors to continue safely operating.”
Karapeeva says there is no room for complacency. She says it’s absolutely critical that NZ fortifies its first line of defence. Both for the safety and wellbeing of its workers and communities and to safeguard the red meat sector’s significant contribution to the New Zealand economy, which is now heavily reliant on our export revenue.
“Most processors have nurses on site or arrangements with local medical centres, so are well positioned to undertake large scale vaccination programmes quickly,” she says.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says the relationship between New Zealand and the US will remain strong and enduring irrespective of changing administrations.
More than 200 people turned out on Thursday, November 21 to see what progress has been made on one of NZ's biggest and most comprehensive agriculture research programmes on regenerative agriculture.
The a2 Milk Company (a2MC) says securing more China label registrations and developing its own nutritional manufacturing capability are high on its agenda.
Stellar speakers, top-notch trade sites, innovation, technology and connections are all on offer at the 2025 East Coast Farming Expo being once again hosted in Wairoa in February.
As a guest of the Italian Trade Association, Rural News Group Machinery Editor Mark Daniel took the opportunity to make an early November dash to Bologna to the 46th EIMA exhibition.
Livestock can be bred for lower methane emissions while also improving productivity at a rate greater than what the industry is currently achieving, research has shown.
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