Sirma Karapeeva: Meat Industry Association Chief Executive on food and fibre exports on track to break records

Red meat's among food and fibre exports surging in value, with revenue forecast to surpass $60 billion for the first time.

The latest forecasts projects export earnings of $59.9 billion for the year ending later this month. 

It's now on track to reach $65.7 billion by 2029.

Meat Industry Association Chief Executive Sirma Karapeeva told Ryan Bridge we're seeing strong global demand and healthy prices across key markets.

She says there's demand from the US and EU, with a good recovery in exports to China.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Few numbers out this morning show our food and fiber
exports on track to break even the last records we set.
Dairy export revenue up sixteen percent to twenty seven billion,
record meat and wall up eight percent twelve point three billion,
record horticulture up nineteen percent to eight point five billion
on tractor hit sixty billion total for the first time.
This is for the year ending June. Projections forecast from

(00:21):
the Outlook for Primary Industries Report. Suma Katapeva is with
US Meat Industry Association SUMA. Good morning, Good morning, this
is great news.

Speaker 2 (00:31):
Oh, it certainly is. It's very pleasing to see this
forecast uplift and eight percent is quite impressive to the
year end thirty June. So yeah, it's a good good
outlook for the sector and it's always you know, these
results reinforced that the red meat sector plays a really

(00:51):
crucial role in supporting New Zealand's economy, particularly in our
rural and regional community.

Speaker 1 (00:57):
Who's buying our meat, our lock.

Speaker 2 (01:01):
This year, we've seen growth and value to most of
our major export markets. There's been robust demand from New
Zealand beef and she'd meet from the United States a
significant increase in sheep meet volumes to the EU and
we're starting to see a good recovery and exports to
China as well.

Speaker 1 (01:18):
Long may that continue because that's important obviously now one
of the things the government wants to do. And by
the way, the projection for sixty five billion by twenty
twenty nine means that this is expected to keep increasing.
But this idea that we will double the value of
exports in ten years, do you think it's doable?

Speaker 2 (01:38):
Our? Look, I think it's a wonderful aspiration and from
our perspective, it is doable. We're doing all that we
can to lift the value of our products going into
export markets. We've got a robust strategy in place to
do that and we're working very closely to keep on

(01:58):
top of that and keep targeting our exports to those
high performing markets that are paying good export process.

Speaker 1 (02:05):
What would product? What would be the thing getting in
the way. Is it just global demand and supply or
is there something in New Zealand. What's one thing the
government could do to make that job easier for you?

Speaker 2 (02:16):
Oh? Look, I think the government is laser focused on
supporting the primary industry to grow and to continue to
be that economic engine for New Zealand. I've just been
at Field Days yesterday and the messages are really reassuring
about being right there next to the primary industries, helping

(02:37):
them to uplift productivity, value production, making sure that there
are no impediments, be they trade impediments or domestic regulatory
impediments that just add a necessary cost and frustration. So
I think the government is certainly focused on doing what
it can to support the.

Speaker 1 (02:59):
Growth of this I appreciate your time this morning. That's
sum Katapeva, the Meat Industry Association. For more from Early
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