WELLINGTON, May 28 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand's red meat sector is experiencing record-breaking export returns, delivering a major boost to the rural economy, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay said on Wednesday.
March saw red meat export sales hit 1.26 billion NZ dollars, a 34 percent jump compared to the same month last year. First-quarter exports reached 3.28 billion NZ dollars, up 28 percent year-on-year, McClay said.
"This reflects a deeper, longer-term shift in global consumer behavior. People everywhere are turning to clean, high-quality, safe and sustainable animal protein," McClay said.
According to Beef and Lamb New Zealand, export revenue for 2024/25 is on track to exceed projections, with April's government statistics showing an annual increase of 1.1 billion NZ dollars.
The government said it is backing the sector by cutting red tape, restoring farmer confidence, and expanding market access.
Key reforms include removing agriculture from the Emissions Trading Scheme, banning full farm-to-forest conversions, starting reforms of freshwater and resource management rules, scrapping the Ute Tax, completing new free trade agreements and removing 733 million NZ dollars in non-tariff trade barrier, the minister said. (1 NZ dollar equals 0.6 U.S. dollar) ■
