Join the Irish Business Network New Zealand, Embassy of Ireland New Zealand and Rural News Group on Thursday May 21 at 8 pm NZ time (9 am May 21 in Ireland) for the first Webinar in our upcoming series:

“The Irish-NZ agri connection”

This week we are joined by Ray Smith, Director General, Ministry for Primary Industries (NZ), Joe Healy, Former President, Irish Farmers Association and Adam Fricker, General Manager, Rural News Group

Topics we will cover:

Update on state of agriculture in NZ and Ireland
The risk of protectionist trade policies
New employment opportunities in the agri sector
The role of the Agricultural media in the Covid crisis

Chaired by

Leading NZ agricultural journalist Peter Burke

Featuring

Ray Smith, Director General, Ministry for Primary Industries (NZ)
Joe Healy, Former President, Irish Farmers Association
Adam Fricker, General Manager, Rural News Group

Organised by the Irish Business Network of New Zealand in association with the Irish Embassy in New Zealand and Rural News Group, publishers of the NZ’s premier farming magazine, Rural News.

Some background on our speakers

Ray Smith

Ray Smith is Director-General at New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), based in Wellington, leading a team of over 3,000 people across 70 locations in New Zealand and around the world. Ray’s overall strategy at MPI is to support the primary sector in making New Zealand the world’s most sustainable provider of high-value food and primary products, with Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, Food Safety, and Bio-security all coming under the MPI banner. Ray and MPI have worked closely with industry leaders and stakeholders during the COVID-19 crisis, to ensure they could operate safely as essential services to help feed New Zealand. Ray’s focus is now on recovery and keeping the primary industries front and centre of New Zealand’s economic regeneration at home and overseas. Farming runs in the family. As a youngster, Ray spent every summer on his brother’s farm in New Zealand’s Waikato region. There’s also an Irish connection, with Ray’s close family living on the Aran Islands.

Joe Healy

Joe Healy is the former President of the influential Irish Famers Association, a position he held since 2016 until earlier this year. Currently First Vice President of COPA (European Farmers Organization) Former President of Macra na Feirne (Irish Young Farmers) 1995-1997,Vice President CEJA (European Young Farmers) 1996-1998, Beef and Sheep markets reporter for the Irish Independent 1999-2015. He and his wife Margaret run a dairy farmer near the town of Athenry in Co Galway where they milk about 100 cows on the 150 acre property. In 1988, Joe spent a year in New Zealand which he describes as one of the happiest memories of his life. He worked on farms in Manaia South Taranaki, Hinds in Canterbury and Putaruru in the Waikato. In 1996 he was back in NZ where he represented Ireland in the world sheep shearing championships in Masterton. He also has relations in NZ.

Adam Fricker

Adam Fricker is the General Manager, Rural News Group. He has worked in journalism and publishing for over 20 years, starting with Rural News Group as a reporter in 1998, moving into editor roles, then onto management. During this time, the company has published a number of trade publications, books and New Zealand Geographic magazine. The ‘pre-journalism’ years involved working on dairy farms, growing flowers and bulbs for export and (eventually) completing a science degree.

Peter Burke

Peter Burke is an NZ agricultural journalist who has worked in television, radio, print and public relations since 1963. His father was born in Moycullen Co Galway and his mother in the coal mining town of Denniston on the West Coast of NZ. As an agricultural journalist Peter has travelled extensively overseas covering major trade talks and events throughout the world. He has been to Ireland many times to report on agricultural issues and last year attended the Ploughing Championships. He has a deep passion for Irish history and in 2019 launched his book True To Ireland in both NZ and Ireland.

Register below to attend our online webinar, spaces are limited. All registered attendees will be sent a link to join the Webinar which will be held via Zoom.