New Zealand – Mexico

Meeting between New Zealand and Mexican Ministers Of Agriculture

Joint Statement, Wellington, 16 June 2010

Secretary Mayorga is visiting NewZealand, between 15-19 June, as a guest of the New Zealand Government and is accompanied by a delegation which includes 8 senior agriculture officials and 8 Mexican industry representatives. The delegation is interested in learning more about how governments can encourage innovation and increase productivity in the agricultural sector.  Their programme includes meetings with research and development centres, visits to farms and meetings with New Zealand agricultural businesses and Ministers, and a visit to Fieldays, the largest agricultural fair in the southern hemisphere.

Mexico is New Zealand’s largest trading partner in Latin America and agriculture is an important facet of that trade.  Our economies are complementary and there is good potential to expand cooperation further.  New Zealand has strengths in dairy and red meat, while Mexico is a significant producer of pork and poultry.  Both countries have strengths in horticulture – it is a high tech sector for New Zealand, which invented gold kiwifruit, and Mexico is a significant producer of fruits and vegetables on the world stage, including being the number one exporter of avocadoes and papayas, 

The policy dialogue between both countries on facilitation of trade and promotion of business friendly practices is of mutual benefit.  New Zealand has contributed through using its Latin America Strategy Fund (LASF) to support engagement on farm management, economic reforms and trade policy as well as to facilitate commercial collaboration in agricultural science and research. For example, LASF supported New Zealand Special Agricultural Trade Envoy, Alistair Polson, to visit Mexico at the invitation of Mexican Agriculture and Finance Ministries to speak at the October 2009 ‘Agri-policy Conference’.  New Zealand and Mexico have also been working on expediting trade through electronic certification cooperation.

Minister Carter and Secretary Mayorga were pleased to note these existing agriculture links between the two countries and recent developments, including:

• Mexico joining the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Emissions to combat climate change.
• AgResearch and INIFAP’s (National Agricultural Research Institute) ongoing collaborative research into environmentally appropriate pest control methods.
• Cooperative arrangement between AsureQuality and the Centre for Research and Assistance in Technology and Design of the State of Jalisco (CIATEJ) that allows the former to assist CIATEJ with food processing.

As two major agricultural producers concerned about the effects of climate change, both Minister Carter and Secretary Mayorga reaffirmed their shared commitment to working together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the agricultural sector. Minister Carter thanked Mexico for their participation in both the Livestock Emissions Abatement Research Network (LEARN) and more recently the Global Research Alliance initiatives from New Zealand.

The Minister and Secretary welcomed cooperation between their respective research centres and looked forward to further projects,  as well as the potential for further projects using agricultural services.

Minister Carter and Secretary Mayorga concluded that it was important for Mexico and NewZealand to remain in close contact on international agricultural issues of shared interest as well as continuing to promote and facilitate greater bilateral commercial and research links.

 

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