Red Meat Sector Conference date unveiled
The Meat Industry Association (MIA) have announced the dates for the 2025 Red Meat Sector Conference.
Associate Minister for Primary Industry Nathan Guy says the outlook for wood remains challenging, with depressed market conditions prevailing overseas.
Guy, responsible for forestry in the Government, told the industry's recent Forestwood Conference to "lead the thinking."
"Short-term it looks like we're in for a bumpy ride. Long-term economic conditions are set to improve. We have the Christchurch rebuild ahead of us and we expect construction to pick as the economy starts to recover.
"Longer term we also know there's going to be strong demand as the world's population grows and standards of living increase. By 2020 we expect the Asia Pacific region will have 4.2 billion people, about 50% of the world's population. This will create opportunities for New Zealand."
Behind the two giants India and China are other large, fast-growing economies such as Indonesia, Russia, Brazil, Turkey and Mexico. In the past five years the developed world's cumulative GDP grew 3%, but emerging economies 46%.
"Here in New Zealand we expect an increase in annual wood availability of 40% by the 2020s, and we need to make the most of this 'mountain of wood'."
But the forests supplying this extra wood are more geographically spread than forests now being harvested. Many are on steeper land distant from infrastructure and processing.
In the past year forestry exports earned $4.8 billion, third after dairy and meat. Guy welcomed the sector's 'ambitious goal' of increasing export earnings to $12 billion by 2022.
"The Strategic Action Plan produced by the New Zealand Forest and Wood Products Industry sets out the benefits this would bring. The challenge for your industry now is to turn that into action."
Two butcheries have claimed victory at the 100% New Zealand Bacon & Ham Awards for 2025.
A Taupiri farming company has been convicted and fined $52,500 in the Hamilton District Court for the unlawful discharge of dairy effluent into the environment.
The Climate Change Commission’s 2025 emissions reduction monitoring report reveals steady progress on the reduction of New Zealand’s climate pollution.
Another milestone has been reached in the fight against Mycoplasma bovis with the compensation assistance service being wound up after helping more than 1300 farmers.
The Government’s directive for state farmer Landcorp Farming (trading as Pamu) to lifts its performance is yielding results.
The move to bring bovine TB testing in-house at Ospri officially started this month, as a team of 37 skilled and experienced technicians begin work with the disease eradication agency.
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