July 21, 2025 • 6 mins
We find the Meat Industry Association (MIA) at the Red Meat Sector Conference in Christchurch.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let's rep straight into it with Nathan god former Minister
for Primary Industries. Nathan, you as you are, as I said,
the chair of the Red Meat Sector conference, which is
going on as we speak. What's been the highlights this morning?
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Yeah, good ay, Jamie. It's a lovely day in christ Church.
Went for a run around the park and we've got
about two hundred and eighty people here this morning and
we've had a really good start to the day, quite
positive and upbeat actually, and we've just released two reports.
The first one is around barriers to trade for our
sect that we know it costs around one point five
billion dollars of non tariff barriers. These have been growing
(00:37):
in recent times. And also we've got a real focus
on helping the government on doubling the value of exports
by twenty thirty four. So there are two good reports
that we've released today to focus the minds. The size
of the prize is huge and relatively speaking, everyone's pretty buoyant, hey.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Nathan, in terms of doubling export of values by twenty
thirty four. Well, the red meat industry's have taken giant
steps this season because it's probably lifted export receipts I'm
guessing by twenty twenty five percent anyhow, just off the
back of these record prices.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Yeah, certainly well over a billion dollars of returns. A
lot of those have flowed through to farmers, and it's
been a long time between drinks for farmers, hasn't it.
The last couple of years for sheep and beef, farm's
been very tough. So it's their time to shine in
the sun. Those that are doing well in processing are
actually doing quietly pretty well, and then there's others that
are struggling, and that's I guess always been the case.
(01:33):
But the mood here right now is pretty buoyant. I
guess the clouds are gathering a little bit. And we
just heard from Van Gallis Fortalis, who's the chief negotiator
trying to deal with FDA's and get India moving and
things like that. He talked about the jungle is growing
back and the uncertainty that's created around the US regime
at the moment, and we all are waiting and bracing
(01:56):
for what announcements may come out on the first of August.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
He's always interesting that guy Evangeli, Is it Vangeli or
Vangelis Van Gaalis Vangalis. Okay, you got his name. I
was sort of close.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
What did he have it close?
Speaker 1 (02:10):
I was near enough, close enough. What did he have
to say about Trump and his tariffs?
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Well, it's a day by day watch. Actually, no one knows,
he said pretty much. If anyone thinks they know, they're
talking bullshit. So m fat or all over it. They've
got a big strategy. They're working closely with the Republicans
up there. They're keeping an eye on what the private
sector is saying. But no one knows, Jamie. So you know,
(02:36):
Brazil is interesting. They've just been waking with a fifty
percent tariff. I'm asking myself what happens to that product
because you know that a lot of that's going into
the US. Does more of it going to China, does
more of it going to other markets that we're close to.
So that's just global uncertainty is rife at the moment,
and that's creating quite a bit of concern.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
That could play into our hands Trump slapping a greater tariff,
because it's all about where you sit relative to other
countries that are exporting into the US. If we're sitting
at ten percent, then we'll probably have to go above that.
But if the Brazilians are at fifty percent or whatever,
that's a huge competitive advantage for US.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
Yes, we'd of course prefer to not go above ten percent.
My intel talking to companies is pushing that right through
to consumers, so they should. That's mainly because the market
is quite buoyant in the US at the moment. Anything
higher becomes problematic. So if it is high on the
first of August, that means that companies will have to
think about wearing some of that pain, which is not
(03:40):
ideal for processes and not ideal for our farmers. So
let's hope that we can avoid that. And you know,
I think personally that certainly the grinding beef market is
very recession proof in the US, and we know that
we produce a quality product that brings their bug out
down and mix us up with some of their fatty
(04:02):
feed lots stuff. So we're in a sweet spot and
let's hope we can avoid any more tariffs.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
Now we're going to speak to Jane Smith shortly about
the Paris Accord slash agreement. You don't have to be
a rocket scientist to figure out what she thinks about it.
You would have been in the government under John Key
that signed us.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Oh yes, and I've talked to you on your show
a few weeks ago. Jamie. It's ludacrous to think that,
you know, anyone proposing to pull out of Paris as
pleased that the remits fell over at fed farmers. We
should just move on, talk about and debate other topics.
If we were to pull out of Paris, that would
cause the meat schedule, the milk price to drop. So
(04:41):
ludacris for anyone to be proposing that.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Should the banks be in the business of net zero banking,
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
I see that's a story this week. It's bizarre to me.
I mean, there's already green loans out there you can
get from bank various banks if you do rapium planting
and things. Yeah. I haven't followed that one, Jamie. I'm
not close to it, but it's certainly a topic that's
revved up the primary sector.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
Yeah, well, I reckon that's got to be done, like
processor level. If there's a genuine premium out there for
that zero product, and I'm sure at some stage there
will be pay the farmers for it. Change the behavior
that way, rather than penalizing them at the bank level.
Is that a fair comment.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
That's what I would have thought makes prudent sense. And
I guess this whole climate discussion, you can debate it
for what it's worth, but in my mind, it's really
a ticket to the dance or a ticket to ride.
So we've got to continue to do play our place
in the world and keep focused on the environmental stuff.
Vangali Battalis, our chief negotiation negotiator. He just gave an
(05:49):
example in the EU where they're so focused on it.
We saw that through the EU FDA. So it's going
to get harder and we can't just fall asleep at
the wheel. We've got to keep playing our part and
we are doing that.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
Yes, and the UK and the EU especially are becoming
increasingly important markets for us with the FDA no trade
barriers there. Nathan Guy, thanks for your time, Good luck
for the rest, Good luck for the rest of the
red meat sector conference. Good to see you knock it
out on one day.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Yeah, that's right. We're going to have a few drinks
tonight and celebrate the secrets forty years since the Meat
Industry Association was formed. So good on you. Thanks so
world under everyone Cheers, Jamie,
Let's rep straight into it with Nathan god former Minister
for Primary Industries. Nathan, you as you are, as I said,
the chair of the Red Meat Sector conference, which is
going on as we speak. What's been the highlights this morning?
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Yeah, good ay, Jamie. It's a lovely day in christ Church.
Went for a run around the park and we've got
about two hundred and eighty people here this morning and
we've had a really good start to the day, quite
positive and upbeat actually, and we've just released two reports.
The first one is around barriers to trade for our
sect that we know it costs around one point five
billion dollars of non tariff barriers. These have been growing
(00:37):
in recent times. And also we've got a real focus
on helping the government on doubling the value of exports
by twenty thirty four. So there are two good reports
that we've released today to focus the minds. The size
of the prize is huge and relatively speaking, everyone's pretty buoyant, hey.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Nathan, in terms of doubling export of values by twenty
thirty four. Well, the red meat industry's have taken giant
steps this season because it's probably lifted export receipts I'm
guessing by twenty twenty five percent anyhow, just off the
back of these record prices.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Yeah, certainly well over a billion dollars of returns. A
lot of those have flowed through to farmers, and it's
been a long time between drinks for farmers, hasn't it.
The last couple of years for sheep and beef, farm's
been very tough. So it's their time to shine in
the sun. Those that are doing well in processing are
actually doing quietly pretty well, and then there's others that
are struggling, and that's I guess always been the case.
(01:33):
But the mood here right now is pretty buoyant. I
guess the clouds are gathering a little bit. And we
just heard from Van Gallis Fortalis, who's the chief negotiator
trying to deal with FDA's and get India moving and
things like that. He talked about the jungle is growing
back and the uncertainty that's created around the US regime
at the moment, and we all are waiting and bracing
(01:56):
for what announcements may come out on the first of August.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
He's always interesting that guy Evangeli, Is it Vangeli or
Vangelis Van Gaalis Vangalis. Okay, you got his name. I
was sort of close.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
What did he have it close?
Speaker 1 (02:10):
I was near enough, close enough. What did he have
to say about Trump and his tariffs?
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Well, it's a day by day watch. Actually, no one knows,
he said pretty much. If anyone thinks they know, they're
talking bullshit. So m fat or all over it. They've
got a big strategy. They're working closely with the Republicans
up there. They're keeping an eye on what the private
sector is saying. But no one knows, Jamie. So you know,
(02:36):
Brazil is interesting. They've just been waking with a fifty
percent tariff. I'm asking myself what happens to that product
because you know that a lot of that's going into
the US. Does more of it going to China, does
more of it going to other markets that we're close to.
So that's just global uncertainty is rife at the moment,
and that's creating quite a bit of concern.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
That could play into our hands Trump slapping a greater tariff,
because it's all about where you sit relative to other
countries that are exporting into the US. If we're sitting
at ten percent, then we'll probably have to go above that.
But if the Brazilians are at fifty percent or whatever,
that's a huge competitive advantage for US.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
Yes, we'd of course prefer to not go above ten percent.
My intel talking to companies is pushing that right through
to consumers, so they should. That's mainly because the market
is quite buoyant in the US at the moment. Anything
higher becomes problematic. So if it is high on the
first of August, that means that companies will have to
think about wearing some of that pain, which is not
(03:40):
ideal for processes and not ideal for our farmers. So
let's hope that we can avoid that. And you know,
I think personally that certainly the grinding beef market is
very recession proof in the US, and we know that
we produce a quality product that brings their bug out
down and mix us up with some of their fatty
(04:02):
feed lots stuff. So we're in a sweet spot and
let's hope we can avoid any more tariffs.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
Now we're going to speak to Jane Smith shortly about
the Paris Accord slash agreement. You don't have to be
a rocket scientist to figure out what she thinks about it.
You would have been in the government under John Key
that signed us.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Oh yes, and I've talked to you on your show
a few weeks ago. Jamie. It's ludacrous to think that,
you know, anyone proposing to pull out of Paris as
pleased that the remits fell over at fed farmers. We
should just move on, talk about and debate other topics.
If we were to pull out of Paris, that would
cause the meat schedule, the milk price to drop. So
(04:41):
ludacris for anyone to be proposing that.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Should the banks be in the business of net zero banking,
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
I see that's a story this week. It's bizarre to me.
I mean, there's already green loans out there you can
get from bank various banks if you do rapium planting
and things. Yeah. I haven't followed that one, Jamie. I'm
not close to it, but it's certainly a topic that's
revved up the primary sector.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
Yeah, well, I reckon that's got to be done, like
processor level. If there's a genuine premium out there for
that zero product, and I'm sure at some stage there
will be pay the farmers for it. Change the behavior
that way, rather than penalizing them at the bank level.
Is that a fair comment.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
That's what I would have thought makes prudent sense. And
I guess this whole climate discussion, you can debate it
for what it's worth, but in my mind, it's really
a ticket to the dance or a ticket to ride.
So we've got to continue to do play our place
in the world and keep focused on the environmental stuff.
Vangali Battalis, our chief negotiation negotiator. He just gave an
(05:49):
example in the EU where they're so focused on it.
We saw that through the EU FDA. So it's going
to get harder and we can't just fall asleep at
the wheel. We've got to keep playing our part and
we are doing that.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
Yes, and the UK and the EU especially are becoming
increasingly important markets for us with the FDA no trade
barriers there. Nathan Guy, thanks for your time, Good luck
for the rest, Good luck for the rest of the
red meat sector conference. Good to see you knock it
out on one day.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Yeah, that's right. We're going to have a few drinks
tonight and celebrate the secrets forty years since the Meat
Industry Association was formed. So good on you. Thanks so
world under everyone Cheers, Jamie,
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