Crazy
OPINION: Your canine crusader was truly impressed by the almost unanimous support given by politicians of all stripes in Parliament to the recent passing of legislation for the NZ/EU free trade deal.
New Zealand’s food and fibre exports for the year ending June 2022 leapt to $53.3 billion.
The result is $1.1 billion above the $52.2 billion forecast in this year’s Situation and Outlook for Primary Industries (SOPI) report, which predicted the primary sector continuing to make a profit despite a challenging year.
Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor says the result is a testament to the efforts of New Zealand’s farmers, growers, foresters, fishers and processors.
“The June quarter saw a strong finish to what we’d already forecast to be a record year for exports,” O’Connor says. “Meat and dairy led the charge in bringing an additional $1.1 billion into our economy.”
He says the data also showed seafood and horticulture exports surpassing the 2021 exports.
“Food and fibre exports made up 81.4 percent of New Zealand’s total exports in the year to 30 June 2022,” O’Connor says.
“In the two years since COVID-19 came knocking on our doors, I believe that, collectively, we’ve done a terrific job keeping the wheels of the economy turning.”
He says the sector has also responded to other challenges, like the current weather events at the top of the South Island, which O’Connor says he is watching closely.
“I’d like to acknowledge the sectors’ ongoing efforts and congratulate them on a job well done. It’s helping provide New Zealand’s economic security in challenging times.”
Trade Minister Todd McClay says New Zealand has no intention of backing down in a trade dispute with Canada over dairy products.
There have been leadership changes at the Hamilton-based Dairy Goat Co-operative, which has been struggling financially in recent years.
Horticulture NZ chief executive Nadine Tunley will step down in August.
OPINION: In recent years farmers have been crying foul of unworkable and expensive regulations.
Another 16 commercial beef farmers have been selected to take part in the Informing New Zealand Beef (INZB) programme designed to help drive the uptake of genetics in the industry.
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Kiwi exporters will be $100 million better off today as the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) comes into force.
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