Agriculture Minister to visit Japan, UK, Europe

Agriculture Minister David Carter will lead a delegation to the first APEC Ministerial Meeting on Food Security in Japan this week, followed by bilateral talks with senior government Ministers in Europe and the United Kingdom.

Mr Carter will also visit the Balmoral Estate in Scotland and meet with HRH The Prince of Wales to discuss the ‘Campaign for Wool' of which the Prince is Patron.

"The Prince of Wales is a champion of the efforts of Commonwealth farmers to grow wool and restore profitability to the sector.  This mirrors New Zealand's campaign to get our strong wool industry back on track," says Mr Carter.

"I look forward to discussing with the Prince how to increase demand for wool as a naturally renewable and sustainable product."

Mr Carter will attend the first-ever APEC Ministerial Meeting on Food Security in Niigata, Japan, this weekend and will hold bilateral meetings with a number of APEC Agriculture Ministers.

In Europe, Mr Carter will hold talks with his French and Dutch counterparts and meet with the European Commissioner for Agriculture.  He will then travel to London to meet the new UK Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the new Minister of Agriculture.

"This is a significant opportunity to promote New Zealand's agricultural trade in the European and UK markets, continue the development of the Global Research Alliance and to strengthen the solid ties we already share."

"I also welcome the opportunity to meet with senior executives of leading British retailers to discuss the latest consumer trends and demands in relation to New Zealand primary produce," Mr Carter says.