The ‘humble’ onion is about to undergo an extreme makeover, with the Government investing $2.83 million in a programme to enhance the competitive advantage of New Zealand’s onion industry, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor announced today. Onions New Zealand and the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures (SFF Futures) fund will jointly invest $6.02 […]
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Economic Week – October 22
Inflation shocker, thief on the loose. This week saw the release of inflation data for the September quarter and it was a shocker. Inflation is an insidious ‘thief in your wallet’, to quote a former Reserve Bank Deputy Governor, eroding purchasing power and savings and distorting decisions on spending and investment. The thief is becoming […]
Benefits all round in NZ-UK Free Trade Deal
Federated Farmers says today’s announcement of a free trade deal between the United Kingdom and New Zealand is great news for consumers and farmers in both countries. “The United Kingdom is walking the talk when it comes to promising a truly global Britain,” Federated Farmers National President Andrew Hoggard says. “We congratulate the New Zealand […]
Alliance Group announces Asia deal with Marks & Spencer
Leading food and solutions company Alliance Group is partnering with the global retail giant Marks & Spencer (M&S) on a range of value-add branded beef and lamb products in Singapore. The M&S-branded range, all further processed in New Zealand, is now available in 11 stores on the island, home to almost six million people. The […]
Economic Week – October 8
OCR increased. After holding off in August, the Reserve Bank did what it had been widely expected to do, this week lifting the Official Cash Rate from 0.25% to 0.50%. This was the first OCR increase in more than seven years. The Reserve Bank had to strike a balance between the economic hit caused by […]
New National Farm Assurance Standard focused on the environment and sustainability launched
Sheep, beef and deer farmers now have the opportunity to prove their sustainability credentials with the launch of a new quality assurance standard. New Zealand Farm Assurance Plus (NZFAP Plus), which builds on the existing New Zealand Farm Assurance Programme (NZFAP), includes a focus on people, farm, natural resources and biodiversity. Nick Beeby, chair of […]
New Zealand well-placed to ride regenerative agriculture wave
There is a significant opportunity for New Zealand to position itself to take advantage of the global regenerative agriculture trend, according to research commissioned by Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) and New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW). “Although still in its infancy, regenerative agriculture is gathering momentum and is set to become a significant trend in food […]
Miraka announces strategic partnerships with Pāmu and Waiū Dairy
Taupō dairy processor Miraka has recently announced two new strategic partnerships as part of its focus on specialty dairy products. The partnerships are with State-Owned Enterprise Pāmu and Māori-owned dairy processor Waiū Dairy. “At Miraka we make decisions for the long-term. Partnering with Pāmu and Waiū Dairy, who both share our values around kaitiakitanga and […]
NZPork disappointed at further delay to Country of Origin labelling regulations
New Zealand’s pork sector is disappointed at a further delay to the introduction of Country of Origin labelling regulations. The Government has announced that the regulations covering fresh/chilled food including pork and cured pork have been delayed for three months until February 2022. “We were eagerly awaiting these regulations to come into force in November,” […]
Economic Week – July 30
Supermarkets under the spotlight. The Commerce Commission this week released a hard-hitting draft report on competition in the retail grocery sector, with supermarkets not coming out of it well. The Commission found problems and they’re mainly with the structure of the market. In competitive terms the major retailers, Woolworths NZ and Foodstuffs, are a duopoly […]