The Honorable Nathan Guy, Minister of Primary Industries for New Zealand, is basically the counterpart of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in this country and he was delighted to welcome the 2015 International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) Congress to “little old New Zealand.”
“This is a significant event for New Zealand,” said Guy of the 33 countries represented at the IFAJ event this week. “I’m hopeful that you will all go back having learned something about our country, about our people, about our culture and about our primary industries.”
Since “little old” New Zealand played a major role in the recently concluded Trans Pacific Partnership agreement, that was a major topic of Guy’s address to the IFAJ Congress. “This is a very significant trade deal,” he said. “The value of the TPP for New Zealand is estimated to be about $2.7 billion by 2030…We see this as a starting point for industries in New Zealand to take this opportunity and run with it.”
In a short group interview after his address to the IFAJ, Guy also talked about the significance of the trade deal to New Zealand’s dairy industry, and the vital importance of the island nation to protect its native plants and animals from invasive pests and diseases. Interview with New Zealand Minister of Primary Industries Nathan Guy