Season's first kiwifruit China bound
Zespri's first charter shipment of the 2024 New Zealand kiwifruit season is on its way to Shanghai.
New Zealand red meat exports hit a record in April however ongoing volatility in China indicates head winds in the coming months, says the Meat Industry Association (MIA).
New Zealand exported products worth $999.6 million during the month of April, up 16% on April 2021 with the value of overall exports increasing to most major markets.
Sirma Karapeeva, chief executive of MIA, says that while red meat exports continued to achieve good returns, there was some fluctuation in demand, particularly in China and the US.
“The value of overall exports to China was down 6% year on year. There was also a small drop in the volume of both sheepmeat and beef exported. The reduction in sheepmeat was largely due to China, with beef exports to the US also dipping,” Karapeeva says.
She says that while still below pre-pandemic levels, volumes of overall sheepmeat exports to the EU and UK were up compared to the last two years.
“Shipping challenges continue to impact UK chilled exports.”
Despite the drop in volumes, with sheepmeat down by 6% and beef by 4%, the overall value of exports increased to April 2021 with sheepmeat (35,553 tonnes) up 8% to $408m and beef (41,350 tonnes) up 25% to $414m.
The value of overall sheepmeat exports to the UK ($52.3m) was the highest that it has been in April for a number of years.
Karapeeva says this would have been higher if chilled exports were at their normal levels.
April continued the trend of strong beef exports into the other north Asian markets, in particular Korea.
New Zealand has exported a record $131 million worth of beef into Korea during the first four months of the year – compared to $132 million worth exported there during the whole of 2021.
It was also another strong month for co-products, with the value of all categories increasing and the overall value up 14% to $178m.
Analysis by Dunedin-based Techion New Zealand shows the cost of undetected drench resistance in sheep has exploded to an estimated $98 million a year.
Shipping disruption caused by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea has so far not impacted fertiliser prices or supply on farm.
The opportunity to spend more time on farm while providing a dedicated service for shareholders attracted new environmental manager Ben Howden to work for Waimakariri Irrigation Limited (WIL).
Federated Farmers claims that the Otago Regional Council is charging ahead unnecessarily with piling more regulation on rural communities.
Dairy sheep and goat farmers are being told to reduce milk supply as processors face a slump in global demand for their products.
OPINION: We have good friends from way back who had lived in one of our major cities for many years.
OPINION: A mate of yours truly wants to know why the beef schedule differential is now more than 45-50 cents…
OPINION: Your canine crusader understands that MPI were recently in front of the Parliamentary Primary Sector Select Committee for an…