‘A glimmer of hope in grim times’
A major free trade deal between New Zealand and the United Kingdom has been hailed by primary sector leaders in the Waikato as a major shot in the arm for an economy ailing from Covid.
Announced by the Government on Thursday, the sweeping ‘‘in-principle’’ deal will entirely remove tariffs on 97 per cent of goods once a final agreement is settled, with beef and sheep meat exports becoming totally tariff-free in 15 years.
Among those happy to hear the news was Otorohanga farmer Michael Woodward.
‘‘Anything that allows us to compete on a fairer stage is a good thing. Suppliers and farmers need surety, and freeing up trade between nations just makes sense ... It’s never a good idea to put all your eggs in one basket.’’
The timing of the deal announcement, with the infiltration of Covid into New Zealand well under way, could not have been better, he reckoned.
‘‘Farmers hate uncertainty, and times have been pretty uncertain lately.
Things are looking up, and this helps. The dairy payout [from Fonterra] is looking good at the moment, so this will help a bit more and keep us smiling.’’
Woodward’s views were echoed by former Federated Farmers president and current board member Chris Lewis, who lives in Pukeatua, south of Cambridge.
‘‘Any positive news is bloody welcome. We all need something to look forward to. I was looking forward to Labour Weekend, but it looks like that’s not happening for a lot of us now. Hopefully we can still look forward to Christmas.
‘‘Congratulations to the trade minister and the staff for getting it over the line. It’s not an easy thing to achieve, so credit to them ... You will remember the Chinese deal that was negotiated by the Clark government, and just look where that’s gone.
‘‘The Asian market is massive and close to home, but we always need lots of customers. The UK has been a traditional market for us, and this deal gives us more options to send our awesome product to.’’
Waikato Chamber of Commerce chief executive