Minister of Agriculture, Todd McClay, has hosted a lamb barbecue for farmers, industry representatives and MPs at Parliament today ahead of National Lamb Day on Saturday.
“As we celebrate National Lamb Day, parliament honours the legacy of early sector pioneers and acknowledges the hard work and resilience of our farmers, processors, and exporters – your dedication ensures that New Zealand’s red meat sector remains world leading and ready to grow,” Mr McClay says.
“Agriculture is the backbone of New Zealand’s economy, with sheep and beef farmers alone contributing over $10 billion in exports to the economy last year. This is equal to $3,300 in income for every Kiwi household.
“The sector isn’t just crucial to our goal of doubling exports by value in ten years — it also supports 76,000 jobs across New Zealand and is leading the way in sustainable farming,” he said.
The Government’s agricultural team of Minister McClay; Biosecurity Minister, Andrew Hoggard; Rural Communities Minister, Mark Patterson and Associate Minister of Agriculture, Nicola Grigg, are focused on getting costs down and returning more value to the farm gate, the Government said in a statement today.
It says that while farmers have done it tough over the last few years with significant weather events and challenging commodity prices, as farmer confidence rises there are real signs of green shoots ahead including:
- A lift in sheepmeat prices over recent months, with December lamb prices exceeding the five-year average;
- Record high cattle prices; and
- Rising demand from key red meat markets.
“Looking ahead, we are focused on new growth opportunities for lamb and red meat, particularly in the Middle East. The recent trade agreements with the United Arab of Emirates (UAE) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will eliminate 99% of all tariffs over time,” said Mr McClay.
“Kiwi farmers are the best in the world, and we are committed to supporting a future where New Zealand lamb continues to be celebrated and enjoyed on tables world-wide.”
