Weekly update 4 March 2019

Full update available here 

1) Government Agencies : Fruit Fly Update; Brexit Information, WTO Notifications; Customs arrangement with Hong Kong to benefit New Zealand

2) New Zealand News:  NZ and Fiji to hold regular talks; Visit to strengthen trade links with Mexico; Strong export growth in face of global headwinds; Export NZ Trade Update; Feedback from exporters on industrial relations changes; Seeka reports 27 percent lift in profit due to upturn in kiwifruit volumes; T&G Director of International Sales appointed; T&G Global reports profit dip; Scales Corporation delivers strong profit result; NZ kiwifruit continues on its export roll; New kiwi packaging facility for Katikati; NZ kiwifruit packhouse announces living wage;  Onions NZ will explore sustainable production; Onions NZ will explore sustainable production; Chinese landing eyed for NZ apples; New Zealand banana project could soon bear fruit; HortNZ director election 2019; NZ Biosecurity Minister commends Hawke's Bay's defences against fruit fly; MPI to advise Government on biosecurity funding;

3) International news: GAIN reports; Brexit to be delayed?; Vietnam: New food safety measures for agricultural sector;  US FDA to adopt new methods to assess imports; European Commission to launch new market observatories; Australia will sign FTA with Indonesia; Dover can handle "moderate" Brexit disruption; Consolidation in the seed industry; Bayer swings to loss on Monsanto-related charges; Compass: ‘Trust and tech will shape our food system’; Naturipe targets global blockchain roll-out; Kuhne and Nagel increases results; Computer program aids food safety experts with pathogen testing; Listeria in US food facility means recall of veggies sold at Walmart; The carbon footprint of flowers; 'Ugly produce' might be losing its appeal in the US; Real to replace plastic bags with reusable nets by 2020; Home compostable film combined with paper; Avocado stone fights against cardiovascular diseases and cancer; Produce traceability on patented labelling system; Silver nanoparticles for bacterial control; Tiny drones a buzzkill for greenhouse insects