China trade mission lands major wins for Kiwi farmers, dairy output makes record climb, and Kiwi AI wins major deal with global meat giant.

Welcome to Proud Country's Early Bird - The top things you need to know that impact rural New Zealand delivered to you by 5am, because who doesn’t need better chat beyond the weather!

 

China trade mission lands major winds for Kiwi farmers

New Zealand's agricultural sector stands to gain more than three hundred and forty million dollars in revenue over the next three years, following a successful trade mission to China. Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced twenty-four new agreements with Chinese companies at the International Import Exhibition in Shanghai across the past week.

The agreements extend across multiple industries, marking a major advancement for New Zealand's agricultural exporters. Among the arrangements, our meat industry has made remarkable headway. The Meat Industry Association created a new marketing alliance to elevate awareness of New Zealand red meat in China, while our deer industry reached an agreement with a leading Chinese health company to advance venison and deer velvet marketing.

In the dairy arena, multiple agreements show China's ongoing trust in New Zealand dairy excellence. Miraka entered an agreement to create innovative low-carbon milk items, while Fonterra made three major moves - including an environmental agreement with China's leading green organisation and a health-focused alliance targeting bone health awareness.

Natural health and honey manufacturers also made advances. Our honey industry gained additional distribution channels through new agreements, while Comvita secured two major arrangements to increase market reach for natural health items.

Trade Minister Todd McClay says these agreements reinforce New Zealand's role as a reliable agricultural trading nation. The arrangements align with the government’s aim to double our export value within ten years.

The wide range of agreements demonstrates Chinese buyers' continued confidence in our agricultural excellence, ranging from traditional farming to innovative rural technology. Each agreement creates additional market channels enabling more direct access to China's expanding consumer market.

 

Multi-million dollar research alliance for emissions research

A new multi-million dollar international research alliance will deliver real-world tools to help New Zealand farmers manage their environmental impact while maintaining economic growth. Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has announced that New Zealand and Ireland are investing nine-point-six million dollars in targeted research aimed at addressing on-farm challenges.

The initiative unites the Ministry of Agriculture with Ireland's agricultural authorities, adding to an already successful collaboration that has delivered meaningful advances, and raises the total research commitment to more than thirty-five million dollars.

The alliance has already created valuable resources for our agricultural sector, with earlier work leading to enhanced measuring methods, advances in animal breeding, and innovative management tools.

Irish agricultural minister Martin Heydon highlighted how the increased investment will advance new climate technologies, and that the alliance allows both nations to merge their agricultural knowledge, to create more effective answers to shared challenges.

 

Dairy output makes record climb

Our dairy markets are celebrating an exceptional start to the milk collection season, with output reaching its highest level in more than a decade. Latest data reveals milk production climbed more than 4% in volume during September, while milk solids increased over 5% compared to last year.

The outstanding results mark the strongest opening to any dairy season since 2013, according to Rabobank's monthly market analysis. Our trans-tasman neighbours in Australia have also recorded output increases.

Market analyst Michael Harvey says these results indicate a wider trend across major dairy-exporting nations. While the European Union remains an exception, most key dairy-producing regions are showing signs of recovery or returning to growth.

Looking toward Asia, milk production in China has entered a decline after extended growth. This marks a  change in direction, with Chinese output expected to continue decreasing throughout 2024 and into 2025, and comes amid ongoing economic challenges in the region, including reduced consumer activity.

Southeast Asian markets continue to show encouraging trends for New Zealand dairy interests. The region demonstrates improving economic conditions, with hospitality and retail sectors gaining momentum, creating valuable opportunities for our local dairy industry to maintain strong trading relationships throughout Asia.

 

Federated Farmers tour aims to rebuild rural confidence

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will meet with farmers across the country later this month in three meetings organised by Federated Farmers.

The nationwide tour launches at Mystery Creek Events Centre near Hamilton on November 26th. It then moves to Ashburton Event Centre on November 29th, with a final meeting at Southern Field Days grounds in Waimumu, near Gore, on December 4th.

Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford says the meetings aim to rebuild rural confidence after challenging times, including difficult weather events, rising costs, declining income, and regulatory challenges.

Langford is encouraging all local farming families to attend, acknowledging the rare chance to engage directly with the Prime Minister.

 

Kiwi AI wins major deal with global meat giant

A New Zealand technology company has landed a major international agreement with the world's largest meat processor. The Auckland-based MindHide Global team will install their artificial intelligence hide-grading technology in Brazil, working directly with international meat giant JBS, which controls meat entering major retail chains including McDonald's, KFC, and Walmart.

The agreement represents a significant advancement into the world's largest meat exporting market, adding Brazil to MindHide's already impressive international reach across eight nations, including the United States, Italy, and Japan. 

The twenty-member Auckland team leads the world in automated hide assessment technology, with their system able to evaluate cattle hides in under eight seconds, detecting more than 25 different marking types. This advancement allows meat processing facilities to maximise returns through enhanced grading accuracy.

Company director and chairwoman Debra Hall explained their technology uses an advanced combination of lighting and imaging equipment examining hides as they move along processing lines. The system makes instant quality decisions through its on-site analytical technology, delivering greater consistency than traditional manual grading methods.

The innovation originated well ahead of current artificial intelligence trends, with the company launching in 2011 and later focusing exclusively on hide grading from 2018. This early market entry has allowed the team to refine their technology through real-world testing across multiple international markets.

The Brazilian agreement marks another milestone in the company's international growth, with their first installation in South America expected to begin operations before the end of the year. 

 

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