India–New Zealand FTA talks continue in Delhi as officials pursue trade breakthrough
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.
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.
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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