NZ Red Meat Sector Pushes for Swift India Free Trade Agreement
The New Zealand red meat sector has signed an open letter to parliamentarians from BusinessNZ, urging swift ratification of the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
OPINION: This old mutt reckons the latest red meat export numbers bring to mind the old maxim, "When China sneezes, the world catches a cold".
Certainly, it's lower demand from China that's holding back a recovery to full health in meat industry returns, whoch had been decidedly sick until recently.
MIA data shows positive growth overall in June, driven by the US, up 14% to $303m, Japan up 53% to $61m, the UK up 66% to $61m and Canada, up 94% to $51m.
China, still the second largest market after the US, was down 38% to $176m - dragging the June average back to a 2% increase overall.
Same deal with second quarter red meat exports, down 1% to $2.9b despite all major markets boosting volumes, except China, which was down a whopping 40%.
North Canterbury farmer Adam Williamson has been appointed DairyNZ's associate director for 2026-27.
Fonterra farmers are set for a multi-billion-dollar payout this week.
The 2026 Holstein Friesian NZ Young Breeders Development Programme is off to a strong start, with this year's intake coming together for their first event on March 18 and 19.
State farmer Pāmu (Landcorp) has announced it will pay a $10 million special dividend to the Crown off the back of a strong outlook for the business and a capital repayment of $9.5 million following Fonterra's consumer business sale.
OPINION: As the fuel crisis hits the country and rural New Zealand in particular, perhaps it's time to turn to one of the kaumatua of the rural sector, Pita Alexander - farm accountant, advisor and a source of knowledge and insightfulness.
Katie Milne, former Federated Farmers president, has been announced as the National Party’s candidate for the West Coast-Tasman electorate.

OPINION: If you ask this old mutt, the choice at the next election isn't shaping up as a contest of…
OPINION: A mate of yours says we're long overdue for a reckoning on what value farmers really get for the…