Expect NZ food and fibre to be a campaign battleground in 2023 – KPMG – Jamie Gray:
New Zealand can expect food and fibre to be a campaign battleground at next year’s general election, consultant KPMG says.
In its latest issue of Agri Agenda, timed for the start of New Zealand’s biggest agricultural event, Fieldays, KPMG’s global head of agribusiness Ian Proudfoot said 2023 was shaping up to be a difficult year.
“As we move into Election 2023, we can expect battlegrounds to appear around areas of political tension,” he wrote in the foreword of Agri Agenda.
“It is reasonable to expect our food and fibre sector will become a campaign battleground given existing tensions in the sector (particularly in relation to climate policy) which brings with it the risk of entrenching divisions amongst farmers and growers across the country and between urban and rural communities,” Proudfoot said. . .
Sainsbury lamb leg price explained – Reece Brick :
A picture doing the rounds on social media recently showing the cost of a lamb leg in one UK supermarket has definitely hit a nerve with many New Zealanders.
The picture shows what would be considered a low price and at half the usual UK retail value. This created plenty of chatter and concerns over the pricing differential between the two countries. But digging deeper for the facts shows that for starters that price was a Christmas special at only one supermarket for £6.50/kg – in NZ dollars that’s $12.50/kg. You can pick up lamb legs from Countdown this week for less than that.
Secondly, the odds of all the lamb legs being solely from NZ are slim, because the online listing specifically states that the leg of lamb could be NZ or British.
Thirdly, that promotion being run is easily the cheapest offering through the UK supermarkets. A quick skim through the four major supermarket’s websites has almost all other lamb legs going for £9.50-£13.50/kg, which works out to be NZ$18.30-$26/kg based on the exchange rate at the time of writing. That puts PaknSave and New World at the lower-end of this range this week at $19-$21/kg online. . .
Lipstick with New Zealand strong wool a world first :
New Zealand-based company Wool Source and leading lipstick brand Karen Murrell have teamed up to create an unexpected new avenue for strong wool – a lipstick coloured with wool keratin-based pigment.
This collaboration marks the first product to be created and commercially available using Wool Source’s drop-in ingredient and is believed to be a world-first in beauty.
Wool Source Chief Executive Tom Hooper says, “We’re excited that the first product using our ingredient is coming to market in New Zealand and will be something New Zealanders and growers can get behind.
“By collaborating with an experienced and respected brand like Karen Murrell, we’ve been able to test the performance of our pigment with a rigorous product development process and we’re delighted that it’s created a product that Karen and her team are excited by and keen to promote.” . .
Red meat sector exports to Italy increase 244 per cent in October :
New Zealand’s red meat sector exports to Italy increased by 244 per cent in October, compared with 2021, with demand for sheepmeat and beef hides soaring, according to an analysis by the Meat Industry Association (MIA).
Overall, red meat exports for the month were worth $737 million, a six per cent increase on October last year. China was again the largest market, at $290m, followed by the US ($134m), Japan ($32m) and then Italy ($26m). Exports to Canada were also up 82 per cent on last October by value, to $22m.
MIA Chief Executive Sirma Karapeeva said that October had been a steady month for exports, with Italy the stand-out change from 2021.
“Italy is an important market for beef hides, which are used for the manufacturing of luxury goods. The value of these exports increased from $5.6m last October to $19.5m this October and this was the highest monthly value for more than four years. . .
Zespri releases climate change adaption plan :
Zespri has today released its first ever Climate Change Adaptation Plan – Adapting to Thrive in a Changing Climate – outlining how the kiwifruit industry intends to adapt to a changing climate in New Zealand and in its offshore growing locations.
Developed in consultation with growers and the wider kiwifruit industry, the Climate Change Adaptation Plan (the Plan) establishes a framework for the industry’s long-term approach to adaptation and is a response to Zespri’s Climate Change Risks and Opportunities Report which was published in 2021.
Zespri Chief Grower, Industry and Sustainability Officer Carol Ward says the Plan reflects Zespri’s ongoing commitment towards transitioning to a low-carbon, climate-resilient future.
“We know the climate is changing which brings challenges and opportunities for our industry and its important that we look at how we can ensure the kiwifruit industry remains climate-resilient. . .
Ravensdown proud to partner with New Zealand Leadership Coalition to tackle agricultural emissions :
Ravensdown has today shown its commitment to the future of New Zealand farming by uniting with Government and leading New Zealand agribusinesses to address the challenge of climate change and sustainability.
The Joint Venture (JV) leadership coalition, launched by the Prime Minister at Fieldays today, sees Government partner with agribusiness leaders at scale to help New Zealand lower agricultural emissions.
The line-up of JV partners, ANZCO Foods, Fonterra, Rabobank, Ravensdown, Silver Fern Farms, and Synlait, represent the full spectrum of the food and fibre industry, giving Government insight and access to the entire farm-to-consumer-to-investor value chain.
Garry Diack, Ravensdown Chief Executive Officer, says the industry owes it to farmers to partner, invest and collaborate to help solve the most significant challenge of our time. . .
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