January 15, 2026 • 5 mins
We catch up with our China correspondent, who is currently dealing with a heat wave. Plus, will Kiwi farmers be affected by the new China beef quota?
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Time to check in with all things China and our
China correspondent, Hunter mcgreg you a Hunter house. Things over there,
but warmer than usually, I understand.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Yeah, good afternoon, Hamish.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
You know that this week we're having a little bit
of a heat wave, so we're around about twenty degrees
at the moment, but next week we'll drop back down
to about three or four degree higher three or four degrees,
so you know, and China last year had a pretty
hot temperature, at a record temperature for the whole year.
So but you know, it is what it is, The
(00:34):
weather is what it is, and we just play with
what's in front.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Of us exactly right. The new China beef quota system.
How has New Zealand fared in this and in particular
and compared to the Australians and the Brazilians.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Well, you know, so what happened is that for the
last couple of years the Chinese government has been looking
into protecting their local beef production. So and they've just
come out while everyone else and Zealand was on holiday
at the start of this year with a new quota system.
So New Zealand hasn't fared too badly because you know,
we were around about two hundred thousand tons of beef
(01:11):
which will be available quota free, and then if you
go above that, and the same with everybody else, with
the Brazilian's, Argentine in Uruguay, Australia and the state to
go above your quota and then it's fifty five percent.
But you know, New Zealand hasn't actually imported that much
over two hundred thousand tons into China for a while
(01:33):
and it was a sort of a peak. So you know,
we're gonna we don't have enough beef to probably export
into China. But you know, it's going to affect the Australians.
You know that they've been over there quota last year.
The Americans will go closer. Yeah, it's good, and then
that the Brazilian is going to have a bit of
a problem because you know they're well above what their
quota value was. So you know, let's see how it
(01:55):
plays out. And it's going to affect New Zealand too
much in the short term, you know, with a demand
at out of America for plenty of beef. But if
that demand in America drops off, it might have to
find somewhere else and that could be a bit of
a problem. But you know, let's see how it plays out,
and you know there'll be opportunities and you know there'll
be winners and losers, and hopefully in New zealand's on
the right side of that.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
Yeah, where do you see the opportunity for New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
Well, you know, we're quote free, I think, you know,
to be honest, the opportunity in China for New Zealand
beef is grain fed. If you're supplying grain fed beef
into China tower free for the whole twelve months, that's
a massive opportunity grass feeders. There are opportunities for grass
fed beef in China. But you know, I don't see
(02:41):
I've never seen it yet where grass fed beef at
a high end restaurants has replaced grain fed beef.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
So that's what you know.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
The consuming here is after that American and the US,
the US and the and the Australian grain tree beef,
they don't they don't really want at the top end
grass fed bee.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
But that's changing, so there'll be opportunities.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
It's just a matter of working hard and trying to
find your right niche.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
Why do they love that grain feed so much. I mean, yeah,
what's the difference here for them as consumers?
Speaker 2 (03:15):
I think it's consistency. The consistency of the product on
the plate.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
It's a lot easier to cook, you know, because it's
a lot fattier. But you know, I talked to a
lot of these chefs that run these fancy restaurants, you know,
and they have an M nine way go whatever, some
fancy piece of beef. It's really really fatty. People buy
it and then they complain about how fatty it is.
(03:39):
So you know that that high marveling stuff is fantastic
in a Japanese restaurant, but not as a big lump
of steak on your plate. So you know, the consumer
here is is changing.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
But you know what one thing.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
Is clear is they really like breeds of beef that
are angers, the like Waigu, you know, Hereford.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
You know, so if you start to have a just.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
Having a reserve grade or a hand picked or a
hand selected you know, you're not going down the breeds.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
You're missing a trick here in the market.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
Yep, yep, superb stuff right, Well, yeah, I haven't really
before we wrap it up, honey, you really haven't a
chance to celebrate Christmas New Year, because it sort of
not the done thing there is it. But you did
have an interesting sort of visit to your own private resort.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
Yeah, no, on Christmas Day, it was midweek here, so
we decided to head to a small town north of Shanghai.
I was actually a small city called Quinn shann It's
only two million people.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
That lived there and really too, yeah, we went, yeah,
only too.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
It's a small honestly, it feels like a very small town.
And we stayed in a Fairmont hotel there and a
nice resort. And the great thing about it that we
had it was not longer like a private resort. There's
no one there. So yeah, the st report was open
and the kids love that.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
And yeah, it was great. It was cold, clear blue sky.
You know, you couldn't ask for much better.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
And the hotel was about a quarter of the price
of what it normally is, so I couldn't complain.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
Good to hear, Good to hear, Hardy McGregor, our China correspondent,
Thank you as always, and we'll catch up again soon.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Yes, thanks
Time to check in with all things China and our
China correspondent, Hunter mcgreg you a Hunter house. Things over there,
but warmer than usually, I understand.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Yeah, good afternoon, Hamish.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
You know that this week we're having a little bit
of a heat wave, so we're around about twenty degrees
at the moment, but next week we'll drop back down
to about three or four degree higher three or four degrees,
so you know, and China last year had a pretty
hot temperature, at a record temperature for the whole year.
So but you know, it is what it is, The
(00:34):
weather is what it is, and we just play with
what's in front.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Of us exactly right. The new China beef quota system.
How has New Zealand fared in this and in particular
and compared to the Australians and the Brazilians.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Well, you know, so what happened is that for the
last couple of years the Chinese government has been looking
into protecting their local beef production. So and they've just
come out while everyone else and Zealand was on holiday
at the start of this year with a new quota system.
So New Zealand hasn't fared too badly because you know,
we were around about two hundred thousand tons of beef
(01:11):
which will be available quota free, and then if you
go above that, and the same with everybody else, with
the Brazilian's, Argentine in Uruguay, Australia and the state to
go above your quota and then it's fifty five percent.
But you know, New Zealand hasn't actually imported that much
over two hundred thousand tons into China for a while
(01:33):
and it was a sort of a peak. So you know,
we're gonna we don't have enough beef to probably export
into China. But you know, it's going to affect the Australians.
You know that they've been over there quota last year.
The Americans will go closer. Yeah, it's good, and then
that the Brazilian is going to have a bit of
a problem because you know they're well above what their
quota value was. So you know, let's see how it
(01:55):
plays out. And it's going to affect New Zealand too
much in the short term, you know, with a demand
at out of America for plenty of beef. But if
that demand in America drops off, it might have to
find somewhere else and that could be a bit of
a problem. But you know, let's see how it plays out,
and you know there'll be opportunities and you know there'll
be winners and losers, and hopefully in New zealand's on
the right side of that.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
Yeah, where do you see the opportunity for New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
Well, you know, we're quote free, I think, you know,
to be honest, the opportunity in China for New Zealand
beef is grain fed. If you're supplying grain fed beef
into China tower free for the whole twelve months, that's
a massive opportunity grass feeders. There are opportunities for grass
fed beef in China. But you know, I don't see
(02:41):
I've never seen it yet where grass fed beef at
a high end restaurants has replaced grain fed beef.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
So that's what you know.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
The consuming here is after that American and the US,
the US and the and the Australian grain tree beef,
they don't they don't really want at the top end
grass fed bee.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
But that's changing, so there'll be opportunities.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
It's just a matter of working hard and trying to
find your right niche.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
Why do they love that grain feed so much. I mean, yeah,
what's the difference here for them as consumers?
Speaker 2 (03:15):
I think it's consistency. The consistency of the product on
the plate.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
It's a lot easier to cook, you know, because it's
a lot fattier. But you know, I talked to a
lot of these chefs that run these fancy restaurants, you know,
and they have an M nine way go whatever, some
fancy piece of beef. It's really really fatty. People buy
it and then they complain about how fatty it is.
(03:39):
So you know that that high marveling stuff is fantastic
in a Japanese restaurant, but not as a big lump
of steak on your plate. So you know, the consumer
here is is changing.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
But you know what one thing.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
Is clear is they really like breeds of beef that
are angers, the like Waigu, you know, Hereford.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
You know, so if you start to have a just.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
Having a reserve grade or a hand picked or a
hand selected you know, you're not going down the breeds.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
You're missing a trick here in the market.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
Yep, yep, superb stuff right, Well, yeah, I haven't really
before we wrap it up, honey, you really haven't a
chance to celebrate Christmas New Year, because it sort of
not the done thing there is it. But you did
have an interesting sort of visit to your own private resort.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
Yeah, no, on Christmas Day, it was midweek here, so
we decided to head to a small town north of Shanghai.
I was actually a small city called Quinn shann It's
only two million people.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
That lived there and really too, yeah, we went, yeah,
only too.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
It's a small honestly, it feels like a very small town.
And we stayed in a Fairmont hotel there and a
nice resort. And the great thing about it that we
had it was not longer like a private resort. There's
no one there. So yeah, the st report was open
and the kids love that.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
And yeah, it was great. It was cold, clear blue sky.
You know, you couldn't ask for much better.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
And the hotel was about a quarter of the price
of what it normally is, so I couldn't complain.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
Good to hear, Good to hear, Hardy McGregor, our China correspondent,
Thank you as always, and we'll catch up again soon.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Yes, thanks
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