A golden season for kiwifruit exports
According to new figures from Stats NZ, kiwifruit exports were valued at $3.1 billion in the year ended August 2024.
A developing oversupply of logs in China and continuing currency pressure has resulted in a small fall in New Zealand forestry export earnings for the latest quarter.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has this week released forestry production and trade figures for the December 2011 quarter.
The total value of New Zealand forestry exports for the quarter to 31 December 2011 was down $56.1 million on the previous December quarter, at NZ$1.1 billion.
But overall earnings were up for the 2011 calendar year (to 31 December), because China drove strong demand during the middle part of the year. The value of forestry exports increased by NZ$257.5 million to NZ$4.5 billion for the year.
Forestry still accounted for around 10% of New Zealand's total merchandise exports, at 9.8% for the 2011 calendar year (ending 31 December), compared with 10.2% the previous year.
Conditions were still challenging for the sawn timber industry, with total export earnings and volumes decreasing to NZ$751.0 million and 1.9 million cubic metres. MAF reports this is due to continuing weak housing sectors in the high-value United States and Australian markets, exacerbated by high exchange rates for key trading currencies.
For more information, go to the full reports in the Publications section of the MAF website.
New Zealand milk production is off to a strong start, with the first month of the 2025/26 dairy season recording a whopping 17.8% jump in milk production, compared to the previous season.
With adverse weather set to rain down on the Top of the South, the Bay of Plenty and parts of Northland, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says farmers, foresters, and growers need to prepare for possible challenges.
Keep up with innovation and e-commerce in China or risk losing market share. That was the message delivered at the China Business Summit in Auckland this month.
Meat Industry Association (MIA) independent chair Nathan Guy says getting meat processors involved has been a shot in the arm for the sector's key marketing initiative into China, Taste Pure Nature.
Listed carpet manufacturer, Bremworth is undertaking a $6 million expansion at its Napier plant more than two years after the site was heavily damaged by Cyclone Gabrielle.
Federated Farmers is vowing to keep the big banks accountable for their actions and to continue pushing for meaningful change in the rural lending sector.
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