UAE trade deal good news for Kiwi farmers

Federated Farmers are welcoming news of a new free trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates as an exciting and positive step forward for New Zealand.

"This is great news for Kiwi farmers who have been doing it pretty tough lately with high costs and squeezed profit margins," Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford says.

"As a country we earn a living producing high quality food and fibre and selling it to the rest of the world, but we’re currently operating in a tough international environment.

"Farmers will gladly welcome any moves to reduce our costs, grow our incomes, or increase our competitiveness in the global marketplace."

The United Arab Emirates is a top 20 export market for New Zealand, and one of our largest markets in the Middle East.

"The Middle East presents an exciting opportunity for Kiwi exporters as a wealthy and growing market with huge potential," Langford says.

"This agreement will take millions of dollars that would have been charged in tariffs and pump them directly into our rural communities.

"It’s great to see the Government delivering on their commitment to open up new markets, reduce tariffs, and give our exporters options."