Damien O’Connor: NZ united on global trade
When it comes to international trade, politicians from all sides of the aisle are united, says Labour's trade spokesman Damien O'Connor.
OPINION: Your old mate had a bit of a giggle at current Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor's effusive praise of the primary sector, when releasing the latest MPI SOPI report late last year.
O'Connor couldn't get in fast enough to welcome MPI's predictions that the country's primary sector would earn NZ more than $50 billion in export earnings by June 2022.
He even went on to say this figure would grow even more in the years ahead as NZ farmers and growers kept producing the very products the world wants.
Funny thing is that this is the same Damien O'Connor who poured scorn on his predecessor Nathan Guy when the former ag minister outlined his goal for the primary sector to double the value of its 2012 export figures of $32 billion to $64 billion by 2025.
It seems Guy's 2025 target may not be as fanciful as O'Connor claimed at the time!
Metallica's charitable foundation, All Within My Hands (AWMH), teamed up with Meet the Need this week for a food packing event held at the New Zealand Food Network warehouse in Auckland.
After two years, Alliance Group has returned to profit.
According to Zespri's November forecast for the 2025/26 season, returns are likely to be up for all fruit groups compared to the last forecast in August.
Next month, wool training will reach one of New Zealand's most remote communities, the Chatham Islands - bringing hands-on skills and industry connection to locals eager to step into the wool harvesting sector.
Farmers' health and wellbeing will take centre stage with a new hub at the 2026 East Coast Farming Expo.
Dannevirke farmer Dan Billing has been announced as the new national chair of Beef + Lamb New Zealand's (B+LNZ) Farmer Council.

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