Agriculture & Food

New Zealand is the first developed country to sign a free trade agreement with China. With the upgrading of the free trade agreement between the two countries, the proportion of dairy products, meat, and wood products exported by New Zealand to China will continue to increase. The potential for international trade cooperation between the two countries in multiple fields is enormous.

Driving southeast along Highway 1 from Auckland, the largest city in New Zealand, for an hour and a half, a pasture covering approximately 6000 acres immediately came into view. Although New Zealand has entered early winter in May, the perennial ryegrass on the pasture is shimmering with green waves in the breeze, and there are about 1000 Holstein cows and Juan Shan cows feeding on the pasture.

This is a ranch owned by New Zealand's New Zealand dairy company. Farm manager Alan Bacaro told reporters that the nearly two meter thick black soil layer on the farm provides fertile soil for the growth of ryegrass and alfalfa. Alfalfa has a high yield in spring and autumn, while ryegrass can be adequately supplied throughout the year. Planting these two types of grass in a scientific proportion can ensure that cows have sufficient fresh grass supply throughout the year

New Zealand is a major exporter of dairy products in the world. The reporter learned in the interview that New Zealand's evaluation of dairy production efficiency is measured by the milk solids produced per hectare of pasture, and the quality of pasture directly affects the development of the dairy industry. In areas with insufficient rainfall, there are generally specialized irrigation systems that can ensure balanced growth of grass throughout the year. Li Tairui, General Manager of New Zealand Dairy Company, told reporters that the company follows the strict ratio of "6 acres of land with 1 cow", and the number of cows on the company's 180000 acres of natural pasture remains below 30000, striving to achieve sustainable development of the animal husbandry industry.

In recent years, China and New Zealand have actively promoted trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, bringing more benefits to businesses and consumers in both countries. The Upgrading Protocol of the China New Zealand Free Trade Agreement officially came into effect in April 2022. According to the agreement, by January 2024, all New Zealand dairy products will have the opportunity to enjoy preferential policies to enter the Chinese market. More and more "direct supply" milk from New Zealand is reaching the dining table of Chinese consumers. The time from the ranch to the dining table for milk has been reduced from an average of 8 days to 3 days. Roy Vandenke, the global R&D general manager of New Zealand Dairy, who has participated in the CIIE four times, told reporters that China's huge consumer market provides important opportunities for New Zealand exporters and investors, and "the prospects for international trade cooperation between New Zealand and China Dairy are broad.

According to relevant statistics, in the first quarter of this year, China's total import of dairy products from New Zealand's international trade reached 1.726 billion US dollars. Among them, the import volume in March was 626 million US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 16.69%. Chris Lipscom, chairman of the New Zealand China Friendship Association, told reporters that New Zealand is the first developed country to sign a free trade agreement with China. With the upgrading of the free trade agreement between the two countries, the proportion of dairy products, meat and wood products exported by New Zealand to China will continue to increase, and the potential for international trade cooperation between the two countries in many fields is huge.