Blank Canvas rides white wine wave as New Zealand wine sales soar in China
If you find a new consumer in a developed wine market, you are taking them from someone else, says Blank Canvas co-founder Sophie Parker-Thomson MW.
TARATAHI AGRICULTURAL Training Centre has signed a memorandum of understanding with the China Rural Technology Development Centre (CRTD).
The memorandum focuses on cooperation in agricultural policy research, technology training and livestock breeding.
It encourages cooperation and communication of the governments, universities and corporations of both countries, to improve global agricultural sustainable development.
The MOU will formalize the existing working relationship with Taratahi in aspects of agriculture in general, including modernising agriculture methods and farming systems, animal husbandry, seed/ grass and pasture management practices, livestock breeding, and agricultural machinery.
Taratahi chief executive, Dr Donovan Wearing says Taratahi is well positioned to assist China with its agricultural reforms.
"China currently has 900 million people working in the rural sector and the Chinese Government has recently announced major reforms in the vocational training sector. They see both New Zealand's education and agriculture system as world class and are looking to New Zealand to help support them with their reforms."
About 84% of China milk is still produced from farming which is a feed procurement model rather than growing it 'on- farm'. The Chinese Government's 'urbanisation' programme aims to encourage 100 million farmers to move to the city. This means farms will be getting bigger and more skills will be required in order to effectively manage these larger businesses.
Six hundred universities are to be transformed into applied institutions under ambitious vocational education reform plans. The National Bureau of Statistics has estimated that fewer than a third of China's 269 million migrant workers have received training in the workplace. (Source ENZ, China Report, July 2014)
Taratahi has trained Kiwis for agricultural careers since 1919. Taratahi's own assets or assets they manage on behalf of others, now equate to over $100m. Taratahi has 50,000 stock units of sheep, beef and deer and milk 3250 cows per year.
The Government has struck a deal with New Zealand's poultry industry, agreeing how they will jointly prepare for and respond to exotic poultry diseases, including any possible outbreak of high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI).
The conversion of productive farmland into trees has pretty much annihilated the wool industry.
OPINION: Productive whole farmlands conversions into forestry are becoming a thorny issue for the Government.
Thus far in 2025, the Hawke's Bay rescue helicopter crew have completed over 220 missions, resulting in numerous positive patient outcomes.
The New Zealand Food Network's (NZFN) fifth birthday celebrations have been boosted by a whopping five tonne meat donation from meat processor ANZCO.
Pukekohe vegetable growers farewelled 101-year-old Alan Wilcox in late July, celebrating his many achievements and reflecting the widespread respect in which he was held.