Rural Communities Receive Wellbeing Boost
The Government has announced its support for 18 community-based initiatives through its Rural Wellbeing Fund.
Trade Minister Todd McClay will take the opportunity at this weekend's G20 Trade Ministers' Meeting in Shanghai to promote New Zealand's trade interests with the biggest economies in the world.
"New Zealand's invitation to be part of the G20 process demonstrates the mutually shared value of our relationship with China, and the standing which New Zealand has built up over decades as a proponent of an open world trade system," says McClay.
"We are grateful to China for the invitation and I look forward to meeting my counterparts from G20's host nation."
"It is also an opportunity to talk to representatives from the United Kingdom and the European Union about post-Brexit relationships as the implications of the UK's recent referendum vote to leave the European Union are being considered.
"I have already confirmed a meeting with the EU Trade Commissioner Cecelia Malmström and Lord Price, the UK Minister of State for Trade and Investment, to discuss the best way to protect and advance our trade interests with both parties.
"I look forward to frank and fruitful discussions with my international colleagues discussing a range of topics, including ways to achieve a successful outcome of the next WTO Ministerial meeting in 2017."
McClay will also travel to Beijing and Hangzhou for a series of meetings with New Zealand and Chinese businesses and investors. He will visit the Alibaba Headquarters in Hangzhou to discuss future cooperation with New Zealand exporters. This meeting will be an opportunity to build on the memorandum of understanding that was signed between New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and Alibaba in April this year.
The closure of the McCain processing plant and the recent announcement of 300 job losses at Wattie’s underscore the mounting pressure facing New Zealand’s manufacturing sector, Buy NZ Made says.
Specialist agriculture lender Oxbury has entered the New Zealand market, offering livestock finance to farmers.
New research suggests Aotearoa New Zealand farmers are broadly matching phosphorus fertiliser use to the needs of their soils, helping maintain relatively stable nutrient levels across the country’s agricultural land.
Helensville farmers, Donald and Kirsten Watson of Moreland Pastoral, have been named the Auckland Regional Supreme Winners at the Ballance Farm Environment Awards.
Marc and Megan Lalich were named 2026 Share Farmers of the Year at last night's Canterbury/North Otago Dairy Industry Awards.
William John Poole, a third year Agribusiness student at Massey University, has been awarded the Dr Warren Parker and Pāmu Scholarship.

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