Improved demand from China has helped push the forecast farmgate milk for the season by 25c.

Minister for Rural Communities Mark Patterson says live exports of animals is a $500m trade that the country cannot afford to do without.

"It's not the nightmare it could have been!”

Global demand for the Envy apple brand means the first commercially produced Chinese variety of the apple is now being sold in China.

Livestock exporters are hoping to resume shipping animals from August next year.

According to a new report from the New Zealand China Council, New Zealand dairy, meat and seafood exporters need to keep up with rapidly evolving agri-food sustainability policies in China to ensure future market success.

Onion growers will be saving $6.5 million on tariffs once the free trade agreement (FTA) with its number one market – the European Union – is ratified next year.

Global beef markets continue to be a story of two contrasting parts.

Zespri says there is strong demand for NZ kiwifruit in all markets and especially in China.

The Singaporean conglomerate behind New Zealand’s newest milk processing plant says this is the first step in a long journey.