WELLINGTON, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) -- The New Zealand government said it will co-invest 8 million NZ dollars to boost New Zealand beef and lamb exports to the Chinese market.
New Zealand aims to position its beef and lamb as the highest-quality red meats of choice for Chinese consumers, Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay said on Tuesday at a signing ceremony during the seventh China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai.
The New Zealand government has launched the "Taste Pure Nature" campaign with the country's red meat sector to strengthen the Kiwi red meat brand in China, differentiating it from competitors, and driving better returns for kiwi farmers and processors, said the minister.
New Zealand's largest red meat exporter Silver Fern Farms has established its presence in China for nearly 30 years, with China being one of the company's key markets, Silver Fern Farms Limited Chief Executive Dan Boulton told Xinhua last week.
This year, Silver Fern Farms has expanded its retail channels to cover China's central and western regions, supplying high-end grass-fed beef and lamb products to local supermarket stores to cater for China's growing middle class, Boulton said.
The Chinese market remains an important growth engine for global meat exporters, Boulton said, adding that he expects to leverage the spill-over effect of the ongoing CIIE to enhance the company's understanding of the Chinese market. (1 NZ dollar equals 0.6 U.S. dollars) ■
