The Country 02/04/25: Ray Smith talks to Jamie Mackay

The Director General of MPI reflects on his recent visit to China, as the primary sector looks to be hitting a sweet spot. Plus, he offers support to drought-affected farmers.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
We are talking to all the big guns today on
the country. You've heard from the Prime Minister. Here's the
Director General of mp I, Ray Smith, just back from
China where he's been talking trade and exports. And I'd
have to say, Ray, the primary sector just about right
across the sector isn't a bit of a sweet spot
at the moment.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
Yeah, Jamie, look, we are actually and I think things
that you know, we turned that corner and things are
on the way up. And i'd have to say throughout China,
you know, I've got I got a good fuel that
that things are just starting to pick up there and
there's a lot more positivity and looking take a while
to flow through, but it's such a big market and

(00:41):
the number of people in the sort of middle income
area has grown so much that I think we'll see
things pull up strongly. I was quite impressed. I went
to arranger a couple of supermarkets over there and had
to look at some of the New Zealand products that
were that were on show. You know, you know, red
kivy fruit was dominating there. But just to just come
into harbor actually that rocket apples, silfo and Farms said

(01:05):
some good meat products in the Oyster Bay had their
wine on show. Of course, Manuka Honey offers extremely good
prices and then you've got the sort of anchor and
a two products and in that very expensive deer velvet
that we export there.

Speaker 1 (01:22):
Did the Prime Minister did you tag along with his
trip to India? No?

Speaker 2 (01:26):
I wasn't on the trip to India, but I know
that that was an incredibly successful trade mission. Of course,
a lot of our primary sector leaders were along for that,
and you know, there's just a massive opportunity there. Obviously,
the biggest population in the world and the economy and
middle classes growing, and they'll want access to New Zealand
products and you sort of got to imagine that in

(01:48):
the way that we have grown and developed with the
China market over a period of time, that the same
opportunity presents itself in India.

Speaker 1 (01:56):
Now that's the good news. The bad news is a
large part of the North Island anyhow, is in drought.
What's the latest and what support is available through MPI
for those farmers and hopefully with the atmospheric river flowing
above us, we might get a break in the weather
for those farmers.

Speaker 2 (02:16):
Yeah, Look, we might be a bit of a reprieve
this week might in there with that deluge that's coming,
but I guess it's not going to be enough to
change the fortunes quickly. Look, we classified Taraniki in February
is bidding in drought and it's been incredibly dry there
in parts of rainfall down to kind of about a
third of what you would normally see this time of

(02:36):
the year. And then last month's Waycto, Northland Horizons, Marlborough,
Tairsman Nelson regions all went into drought effect as well.
So look we've got we put a bit of money
in there. There's one hundred and thirty thousand dollars made
available to real support groups and though the key sort
of coordinating groups that can get alongside farmers and give
them a hand if they're struggling. But what I encourage

(02:58):
farmers who need support to do, especially around the financial
area or feed budgets, to get along to the various
regional events that are being held at the moment. White
Kato's got a bunch of dry weather events being run
by the Real Support Trust and Beef and Lamb at
the moment, just to make sure that farmers are kind
of thinking their way through with someone else what they
can do. And you know a good example of that

(03:18):
was in Taroniki, where are nearly three hundred and seventy
farmer families turned up to four dinners supported by eighteen
different rule providers there just to make sure that people
are talking to each other, keeping the spirits up and
thinking about the best way that they can get their
way through. So look, I just encourage people to get
hold of real sport Trust Federated Farmers will reach out

(03:40):
to one of our own part support people if they're
really struggling and not can't quite see their way forward.

Speaker 1 (03:45):
Absolutely, a problem shared is a problem halved. Let's just
finish on the fruit fly and the bird flu as
the bird flu and the rare vision mirror. Now what
about the fruit fly.

Speaker 2 (03:55):
Yeah, look that you know big boot flow operation and
moiraki down there in Dneda, and I think that just
at the end of the cleaning and disinfecting phase. You know,
when you get one of those in a big poultry farm,
it's a big job cleaning out making sure that virus
is not left behind. But that's going well. On the
fruit fly. The Pepatoei one got closed out and fingers crossed, Jamie.

(04:18):
By the tenth of April. Next week we will close
out the one on the north shore. And look, I
mean we've cut up nine hundred and fifty kilograms of fruit.
We've searched high and low to see if we can
find any larvae. No further fruit flies have turned up,
so that's a good sign and really a big thanks
to the community there. Everyday people in that community, you've

(04:39):
done their bit to support the primary sector by putting
their fruit in the right bins and helping us kind
of search for any larvae that might be sitting there.
So it looks like it'll end well.

Speaker 1 (04:48):
Okay, Ray Smith Direct, the General of MPI, thanks for
your time. Keep our borders safe.

Speaker 2 (04:53):
Thanks Jamie T.