Listen: Why China is good for NZ's red meat sector

Rabobank's GM Food & Agribusiness Research Tim Hunt. Photo / Supplied

China presents "a tremendous opportunity" for New Zealand, says Tim Hunt.

The Rabobank GM Food & Agribusiness Research attended this week's Red Meat Sector Conference in Napier, where he looked into maximising returns for red meat in China in his presentation Winning the end game in the Middle Kingdom.

Hunt spoke to The Country's Jamie Mackay about the presentation, saying: "The opportunity comes in the form of rapidly rising imports. In the first quarter of this year China bought 32 per cent more beef from the world market and New Zealand continues to benefit from that".

Listen below:

China is an important market for offal and secondary cuts says Hunt which means New Zealand can get "good value for the whole sheep," rather than just the premium cuts.

Also in today's interview: Hunt looks at whether Silver Fern Farms' partnership with Shanghai Maling has helped New Zealand with the Chinese market and discusses China's trade war with the US.