- Hon Todd McClay
The Government has signed a new halal cooperation arrangement in Jakarta over the weekend to strengthen trade access to Indonesia and create new opportunities for New Zealand's red meat and dairy exporters, Agriculture and Trade Minister, Todd McClay announced today.
"Indonesia is an important growth market for dairy and meat products - worth over $1.1 billion in exports last year. With a population of 280 million and a large middle-class Indonesia is a focus market for the Government," Mr McClay says.
The Halal Cooperation Arrangement (HCA) supports ongoing collaboration between New Zealand and Indonesia on halal standards, certification, and product assurance - helping exporters meet requirements and streamline trade.
"There's huge potential for our premium products, and this agreement will give exporters confidence in maximising that opportunity."
"Importantly, the HCA was developed with close input from our dairy and red meat sectors -delivering value for our world best producers," Mr McClay says.
"This is another step in our plan to grow the economy by boosting exports and delivering stronger returns for Kiwi farmers and processors."
"When rural New Zealand does well, all New Zealanders do well."
