Nathan Guy: Meat Industry Association Independent Chair explains how primary sector can benefit from NZ-India trade deal

New Zealand's sheep farmers could be big winners if we secure a trade deal with India. 

The Prime Minister has announced formal negotiations on a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement will begin next month.

The inclusion of dairy products was a key snagging point in negotiations that fell flat in 2015. 

Meat Industry Association Independent Chair, Nathan Guy, says the primary industry has a lot to gain.

"If you look at what's happening up here with sheep meat at the moment, we're facing a 30 percent tariff - and that's a massive headwind. So there's not a lot going on here."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now the Prime Minister's trip to India off to a
flying start. Today free trade deal negotiations are officially underway.
Lux And is set to meet with Nerandramodi later today.
Export industries are holding their breath. They're very hopeful about this,
but is it going to be comprehensive? Should we even
get our hopes up? Export industries? Sorry, our Meat Industry
Association chair, former Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guys with me

(00:23):
from Delhi minister a former minister.

Speaker 2 (00:26):
Good evening, Oh, good evening, Ryan, how are you? Yeah? Good?

Speaker 1 (00:30):
Thanks, good to have you back on the show. When
you were last doing negotiations or you were, you were
involved in those negotiations with the Indians under the Key government.

Speaker 2 (00:39):
Was what was it?

Speaker 1 (00:40):
Was it just dairy that was the sticking point? What
were the issues?

Speaker 2 (00:46):
Our dear has always been a little bit problematic up here.
But this is a comprehensive agreement that the negotiation that started,
So the word comprehensive is critical. Australia got a side
there a few years ago. But we're hoping that we
can get something across the line. For Derry, I guess

(01:06):
the challenge will be to do with Indians who want
to come down to our fantastic country and how the
government chooses to manage that. But if I put my
red meat hat on, in particular in the sheep market, Ryan,
this is a significant day for our sheep farmers and
our processes because we're at the start line. Yes, we've
been here before, but it feels different. We've got a

(01:28):
massive delegation up here about eighty and the business delegation,
and that's significant. The Prime Minister has got some great
FaceTime with Prime Minister Modi, so the feeling is different.
And of course right now the world is crazy, so
we need to keep diversifying and looking at new market opportunities.

Speaker 1 (01:48):
Is that what's making it different?

Speaker 2 (01:50):
You know?

Speaker 1 (01:51):
The Trump the way the rest of the world is
behaving right now. Do you think that might actually help
our chances? Is that what's contributing to that different feeling.

Speaker 2 (02:02):
I don't think it is. I and India is also
negotiating with EU, UK and US, so there's a lot
going on in this space. We're smaller, you know, if
you look at what's happening up here with sheep meat.
At the moment, we're facing a thirty percent tariff and
that's a massive headwind so there's not a lot going
on here. There's one company, Quality in Zed who's been

(02:25):
pushing against strong headwinds in this market with New Zealand
cricketers helping them to get access, so that's quite a
success story, but certainly at low levels. So it just
feels different because a we hear big business delegation. Todd
McLay has been working tirelessly on this. I think he's
up to about a seventh visit. He had a fantastic

(02:48):
meeting yesterday with his equivalent, Minister Gal So it feels
like we've got momentum. Ryan, we're at the start line.
Very good, exciting.

Speaker 1 (02:57):
Yeah, good luck with that Nathan guy who's the Meat
Industry Association share of course, former Minister of Primary Industries
had done a few trips himself. They need to give
maclay an Indian passport at this point, he's done that
much travel between New Zealand and India over the last
couple of months. For more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive,
listen live to news talks. It'd be from four pm weekdays,

(03:18):
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