December 16, 2025 • 5 mins
Our Shanghai-based correspondent finds some long-awaited “green shoots” in the Chinese economy and goes one better in his Ag Person of the Year. He has his Ag Industry in China Awards!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
He's at Shanghai based correspondent Hunter McGregor selling venison and
red meat to the Chinese Hunter. All year, we've been
asking you where are the green shoots in China. You've
finally found some.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Well you good afternoon, Jamie. Yes, that's taking me all year.
I've done plenty of research for this.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
I have. When I talk about research.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
That means going to bars and talking to people networking,
and I've been doing it all year trying to find
some green shoots. And over the weekend I was talking
to some Chinese guys that are involved in Chinese investment
banking and they told me that there is some green
shoots in the economy and it's all.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
To do with AI and robotics.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
And I am not too sure how that links to
anything to do with New Zealand, but I've found some
green shoots.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Anyway.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Now, I asked you for an AGG Person of the Year,
but you've gone one better than that. You've made up
an awards AGG Awards for the China market or way
you go.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Yeah, So my first one is called the government agency
that manages to do the opposite of what it should do,
and I'm going to give that to the New Zealand Immigration.
You know, they have managed to completely stuff the you know,
the Chinese market with regards to tourists. What they did
(01:19):
is they jacked up the pricing and made it really
hard on the translation side. They had to get a
verified translation.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
So at one.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Point there, you know, a visa visited a tourist visitor
to New Zealand was probably one of the hardest visas
for the Chinese to get in the world. They have
they have walked that back a bit, but you know,
you know, it's really interesting because the Chinese visitors to
New Zealand is well down, but the rest of the world,
the Chinese are traveling since COVID, they're traveling more and
(01:49):
you know what they're doing. They're going out into the
world and they're focusing on experiences, unique experiences and are
off the beaten track and New Zealand that's what New
Zealand us, you know, and we're missing out.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
So yeah, well done to New Zealand Immigration.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Hopefully the government of the day can change the rules
and make it a bit bit more welcoming to the
high spending Chinese visit.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
This your next award is the what's wrong with just
New Zealand Meat Award.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Yeah, no, this one is a new one.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
I just I just saw this pop up.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Yeah. I was going to the Taste Pure Nature activation
last month. You know, I finally managed to track down
the menu of the event. And look, you go to
a meat event, you know, it's supposed to be for
Taste Pure Nature. You expect to have meat menus on
the item and only meat. But they had two beef menus,
two beef items, two lamb items and two seafood items.
(02:43):
And having seafood. You know, there's nothing wrong with good
New Zealand seafood, but having it at a meat event
is just a bit of embarrassing, a bit of a waste,
waste of space.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
So yeah, look, put it this way.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
You wouldn't go to a wine event expect to have
some beer ports. So you know it's a little bit
strange for me and.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Your dark Horse Surprise of the Year award.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
Well, actually this goes to MPI in Beijing, you know,
and also New Zealand Customs.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
They do a very good job.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
But you know with MPI managing to get frozen Dear Velvet,
you know, it was banned its early stages of the
year and they managed to get the protocol and everything
and get the whole industry back into importing into China.
There was a fantastic effort. And to be fair to MPI,
they do a very very good job of keeping the
(03:32):
door open to the Chinese market for all New Zealand products.
I know there's a big team in Beijing and they
have a big focus and it's really good to see
that they actually are doing a good job.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
So well, I'm to then, and before we get to
your egg person of the Year, you've got an egg
industry of the year from your point of view in China.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Well, this industry manages to sell ice to eskimos, to
be honest, because and it's the fruit industry, you know,
the fruit industry here. Yeah, there's some fantastic fruit that
has grown within China, a hell of a lot of
it as well.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
But you know, you look at what Zespri's.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Doing with Kiwi fruit doing really well. The apple industry
here is going really well. And you know, we've got
some pears coming in. We've got the cherries coming in
very soon. They're going to be extremely expensive, but I'm
looking forward to getting my hands on some. But the
reason why they're doing really well is that when that
fresh fruit arives from New Zealand, you can taste the difference.
(04:29):
They're just a little bit better than everybody else, so
you know, and I think that's going to continue to
grow up here because the consumer here is looking for
some quality stuff.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
So yeah, well done to them.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
And just to finish on no surprise, your egg person
to the air comes from the fruit industry.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Yeah, from Zesprey, Jason to Break and the whole team there.
They're doing a fantastic job. The market leaders and you
know the top fruit brand in China, you know, and
they're doing a fantastic job. They seems to be continue
to grow and also really really interesting. One last point
is that they're building a brand, and when they're building
a brand, it's very they're doing it really well. But
(05:06):
they're not talking about New Zealand. It's not about Zesbury
New Zealand. It's about the product and how it links
to the links to the consumer. And yeah, I think
a lot of companies can copy what they do because
they're doing a fantastic job. So but you know, the
whole bother industries.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Are doing well. Yeah, the dairy guys, the meat guys.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
If everybody else is, there's still plenty of opportunities up here.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
It's just a matter of rolling up the sleeves and
getting into it.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Haunter McGregor, I'm out of time, thanks for yours, Thanks
to your contribution throughout twenty twenty five. I would have
sent you a box of the Kaisa for crystals, but
I can't get it through Chinese customs. Talk again next year,
go well
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Yes, Thanks Jamie
He's at Shanghai based correspondent Hunter McGregor selling venison and
red meat to the Chinese Hunter. All year, we've been
asking you where are the green shoots in China. You've
finally found some.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Well you good afternoon, Jamie. Yes, that's taking me all year.
I've done plenty of research for this.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
I have. When I talk about research.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
That means going to bars and talking to people networking,
and I've been doing it all year trying to find
some green shoots. And over the weekend I was talking
to some Chinese guys that are involved in Chinese investment
banking and they told me that there is some green
shoots in the economy and it's all.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
To do with AI and robotics.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
And I am not too sure how that links to
anything to do with New Zealand, but I've found some
green shoots.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Anyway.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Now, I asked you for an AGG Person of the Year,
but you've gone one better than that. You've made up
an awards AGG Awards for the China market or way
you go.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Yeah, So my first one is called the government agency
that manages to do the opposite of what it should do,
and I'm going to give that to the New Zealand Immigration.
You know, they have managed to completely stuff the you know,
the Chinese market with regards to tourists. What they did
(01:19):
is they jacked up the pricing and made it really
hard on the translation side. They had to get a
verified translation.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
So at one.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Point there, you know, a visa visited a tourist visitor
to New Zealand was probably one of the hardest visas
for the Chinese to get in the world. They have
they have walked that back a bit, but you know,
you know, it's really interesting because the Chinese visitors to
New Zealand is well down, but the rest of the world,
the Chinese are traveling since COVID, they're traveling more and
(01:49):
you know what they're doing. They're going out into the
world and they're focusing on experiences, unique experiences and are
off the beaten track and New Zealand that's what New
Zealand us, you know, and we're missing out.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
So yeah, well done to New Zealand Immigration.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Hopefully the government of the day can change the rules
and make it a bit bit more welcoming to the
high spending Chinese visit.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
This your next award is the what's wrong with just
New Zealand Meat Award.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Yeah, no, this one is a new one.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
I just I just saw this pop up.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Yeah. I was going to the Taste Pure Nature activation
last month. You know, I finally managed to track down
the menu of the event. And look, you go to
a meat event, you know, it's supposed to be for
Taste Pure Nature. You expect to have meat menus on
the item and only meat. But they had two beef menus,
two beef items, two lamb items and two seafood items.
(02:43):
And having seafood. You know, there's nothing wrong with good
New Zealand seafood, but having it at a meat event
is just a bit of embarrassing, a bit of a waste,
waste of space.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
So yeah, look, put it this way.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
You wouldn't go to a wine event expect to have
some beer ports. So you know it's a little bit
strange for me and.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Your dark Horse Surprise of the Year award.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
Well, actually this goes to MPI in Beijing, you know,
and also New Zealand Customs.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
They do a very good job.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
But you know with MPI managing to get frozen Dear Velvet,
you know, it was banned its early stages of the
year and they managed to get the protocol and everything
and get the whole industry back into importing into China.
There was a fantastic effort. And to be fair to MPI,
they do a very very good job of keeping the
(03:32):
door open to the Chinese market for all New Zealand products.
I know there's a big team in Beijing and they
have a big focus and it's really good to see
that they actually are doing a good job.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
So well, I'm to then, and before we get to
your egg person of the Year, you've got an egg
industry of the year from your point of view in China.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Well, this industry manages to sell ice to eskimos, to
be honest, because and it's the fruit industry, you know,
the fruit industry here. Yeah, there's some fantastic fruit that
has grown within China, a hell of a lot of
it as well.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
But you know, you look at what Zespri's.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Doing with Kiwi fruit doing really well. The apple industry
here is going really well. And you know, we've got
some pears coming in. We've got the cherries coming in
very soon. They're going to be extremely expensive, but I'm
looking forward to getting my hands on some. But the
reason why they're doing really well is that when that
fresh fruit arives from New Zealand, you can taste the difference.
(04:29):
They're just a little bit better than everybody else, so
you know, and I think that's going to continue to
grow up here because the consumer here is looking for
some quality stuff.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
So yeah, well done to them.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
And just to finish on no surprise, your egg person
to the air comes from the fruit industry.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Yeah, from Zesprey, Jason to Break and the whole team there.
They're doing a fantastic job. The market leaders and you
know the top fruit brand in China, you know, and
they're doing a fantastic job. They seems to be continue
to grow and also really really interesting. One last point
is that they're building a brand, and when they're building
a brand, it's very they're doing it really well. But
(05:06):
they're not talking about New Zealand. It's not about Zesbury
New Zealand. It's about the product and how it links
to the links to the consumer. And yeah, I think
a lot of companies can copy what they do because
they're doing a fantastic job. So but you know, the
whole bother industries.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Are doing well. Yeah, the dairy guys, the meat guys.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
If everybody else is, there's still plenty of opportunities up here.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
It's just a matter of rolling up the sleeves and
getting into it.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Haunter McGregor, I'm out of time, thanks for yours, Thanks
to your contribution throughout twenty twenty five. I would have
sent you a box of the Kaisa for crystals, but
I can't get it through Chinese customs. Talk again next year,
go well
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Yes, Thanks Jamie
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