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New Zealand First Leader and Northland MP Winston Peters.
New Zealand First says Italy and Hungary are breaking European ranks over Russian sanctions.
New Zealand First Leader and Northland MP Winston Peters says the Foreign Ministers of Italy and Hungary this week said there could be no automatic extension of the European Union's sanctions against Russia. "We can probably add Greece and Cyprus to that growing list as well," says Peter.
"While (Prime Minister) Mr (John) Key was entertaining the Iranian Foreign Minister in Wellington, Iran moved this week to fill Russia's $1bn market for fruit and vegetables. This follows Russian sanctions against Turkey after it shot down a Russian fighter over Syria."
Peters says Russia is also the world's number one beef importer and number two dairy importer.
Earlier he told a ForestWood Conference in Auckland the dairy industry – vitally important as it is to New Zealand – is not going to repeat the growth record of the past decade.
"Both economically and environmentally the conditions that fostered such rapid growth in the dairy sector are unlikely to recur," he says.
"Dairy will still be a mainstay – but it has come down to earth with a bump – and given us a salutary reminder that diverse exporting industries is economic common sense."
New Zealand needs to build up many other heavyweight export sectors as well.
There were very few economic sectors that offer the potential or opportunity of forestry and wood products.
That is why NZ First supports the vision of the Wood Council to raise the earnings of the New Zealand forest and wood products sector to $12 billion by 2022.
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has joined the debate around the proposed sale of Fonterra’s consumer and related businesses, demanding answers from the co-operative around its milk supply deal with the buyer, Lactalis.
This past week has seen another round of negotiations between India and New Zealand to produce a free trade agreement (FTA) between the two countries.
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OPINION: Foreign policy is a real strength of Winston Peter and this is recognised by Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) officials who, so the story goes, wanted him in his present role because of his experience in that field.
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters often describes NZ as a small and isolated nation situated 'just north of the penguins' but says in terms of global affairs, NZ and other small nations should be judged on the quality of their arguments and not the size of their military.
In 2015, the signing of a joint venture between St Peter's School, Cambridge, and Lincoln University saw the start of an exciting new chapter for Owl Farm as the first demonstration dairy farm in the North Island. Ten years on, the joint venture is still going strong.
Sheep milk processor Maui Milk is on track to record average ewe production of 500 litres by 2030, says outgoing chief executive Greg Hamill.
Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton is calling for cross-party consensus on the country's overarching environmental goals.
Changes to New Zealand’s postal service has left rural communities disappointed.
A $10 milk price remains on the cards for this season despite recent softening of global dairy prices.
Alliance is urging its farmer-shareholders to have their say on the proposed $250 million strategic investment partnership with Dawn Meats Group.
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