Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy is welcoming new figures forecasting that primary exports will reach $37.5 billion for the year ending June 2017.

Maori dairy company Miraka, at Taupo, is about to launch two new value-added products, one aimed at the international market, in particular China, and the other for the domestic market.

Tea topped with blended cream may not appeal to many Kiwis but it does to Chinese, says Fonterra.

Trade and New Zealand’s position on it has been high on the agenda recently.

NZ Binxi Foods, a subsidiary of China’s Heilongjiang Binxi Cattle Industry Co, has backed out of a $25.4 million takeover of Invercargill meat processor Blue Sky Meats.

Long-life (UHT) cream produced by Westland Milk Products has earned high praise from a delegation of Chinese chefs, the co-op says.

New Zealand will have to be extremely active – even by its own standards – in trade policy, given the nature of the disruption caused by the new Trump administration.

The recent upgrade of the Oceania Dairy Ltd (ODL) plant in South Canterbury has boosted suppliers’ confidence, says farmer Andrew McFarlane.

News of the plan to improve trade with China came just days after PM Bill English announced plans for a new and ambitious trade strategy called Trade Agenda 2030.

The recent short-lived ban on Brazilian beef by its major customers is unlikely to increase demand for New Zealand products.