1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,600 Speaker 1: Related matters to New Zealand. And they're talking wool in 2 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:04,880 Speaker 1: China at the moment. This is the Nanjing Wool Conference. 3 00:00:05,400 --> 00:00:07,840 Speaker 1: We've got a team sent to promote our premium strong wall. 4 00:00:07,960 --> 00:00:10,160 Speaker 1: China's our biggest recipient, one hundred and seventy six million 5 00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:13,160 Speaker 1: dollars worth a year. Mark Patterson is the Associate Minister 6 00:00:13,240 --> 00:00:16,239 Speaker 1: for Agriculture and is in China and is with us. 7 00:00:16,160 --> 00:00:17,480 Speaker 2: Morning Morning, Mike. 8 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:20,279 Speaker 1: The strong wool story. How hard a sell is it 9 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:21,960 Speaker 1: in a place like China at the moment? 10 00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:26,640 Speaker 2: Well Wolves make you a bit of a comeback. It's 11 00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:31,720 Speaker 2: coining momentum. Actually, we've got well sitting an eight year 12 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:38,279 Speaker 2: high price wallows and witnessed a you know, or there 13 00:00:38,360 --> 00:00:42,360 Speaker 2: was a signing up here yesterday Wolves of New Zealand. 14 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:46,239 Speaker 2: Three major carpet manufacturers over here signing up so that 15 00:00:46,360 --> 00:00:48,080 Speaker 2: it's really good new fantastic. 16 00:00:48,159 --> 00:00:49,760 Speaker 1: Is that part of the China story? I mean, I 17 00:00:49,800 --> 00:00:51,600 Speaker 1: know it's a big country, but do you get a 18 00:00:51,720 --> 00:00:55,440 Speaker 1: sense of where China's at economically? That deal you signed 19 00:00:55,960 --> 00:00:58,520 Speaker 1: is that a is that a bullish China or we 20 00:00:58,680 --> 00:00:59,279 Speaker 1: just don't know? 21 00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:03,560 Speaker 2: No, I think you know it's a bit subdued over here. 22 00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:07,560 Speaker 2: Everyone's saying, but I think this is different. This is 23 00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:12,520 Speaker 2: a return to natural fiber is part of a wider trend. 24 00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:14,920 Speaker 2: And if we look at say Icebreak, for example, this 25 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:18,600 Speaker 2: is their store in Shanghai yesterday, twenty five stores in China, 26 00:01:19,160 --> 00:01:23,040 Speaker 2: fifty by March and one hundred medium term. They saying, 27 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:26,560 Speaker 2: so it is a return to wall, which is great 28 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:27,399 Speaker 2: news for New Zealand. 29 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:29,880 Speaker 1: Fantastic one hundred and seventy six million dollars worth of 30 00:01:29,880 --> 00:01:33,240 Speaker 1: business for the country. What's the potential for that do 31 00:01:33,319 --> 00:01:36,840 Speaker 1: you think? O, Well, I think it's going to be 32 00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:40,039 Speaker 1: far higher than that, and you know obviously that example 33 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:42,679 Speaker 1: with Icebreak, it's a fourfold increase. 34 00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:47,880 Speaker 2: But we'll get a big wall conference up here weekend 35 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:51,360 Speaker 2: so we'll get a better sense of that. But we're 36 00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:54,200 Speaker 2: confident we'll do more than our share of doubling exports 37 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 2: over the next ten years. 38 00:01:55,880 --> 00:01:58,480 Speaker 1: Good when it comes to strong wall things like carpets, 39 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:01,640 Speaker 1: who do we compete against and how much of it's 40 00:02:01,640 --> 00:02:04,440 Speaker 1: about just sheer quality? Do you have a quality story 41 00:02:04,480 --> 00:02:07,600 Speaker 1: within the strong wall market? Yeah? 42 00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:12,040 Speaker 2: New Zealand produces the premiere strong white walls in the world, 43 00:02:12,080 --> 00:02:15,560 Speaker 2: so it's very much quality story for us. We're still 44 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:18,239 Speaker 2: the third biggest ex border in the world. Australia is 45 00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:23,639 Speaker 2: the biggest competitive but our walls are superior. So we're 46 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:26,120 Speaker 2: really well positioned to go forward here. 47 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:28,360 Speaker 1: And what a farmer feel good about that? Because the 48 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:30,720 Speaker 1: strong wall farmer has had a tough time of it. 49 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:33,359 Speaker 1: Should I feel good about what's going on in a 50 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:34,640 Speaker 1: return to natural fibers? 51 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:38,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, well, you know, the farmers will be the listing 52 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:41,600 Speaker 2: will be saying, you know, the price is still too low, 53 00:02:41,720 --> 00:02:43,640 Speaker 2: but you know we're at an eight year high and 54 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:48,799 Speaker 2: steadily climbing, which is a great sign. And that's that's 55 00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:52,079 Speaker 2: two parts of that. I mean, the supply has been declining, 56 00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:57,160 Speaker 2: but demands definitely ramping up, which is what's really needed exactly. 57 00:02:57,200 --> 00:02:59,600 Speaker 1: All right, Go well Mark Patterson, who's the Associate minist 58 00:02:59,639 --> 00:03:02,440 Speaker 1: Rebected Culture. Yes, you're asking yourself. He's in China, Mike, 59 00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:04,000 Speaker 1: what time is that? Well, it's the yearly hours of 60 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:07,200 Speaker 1: the morning. I will to be full declaration because he wins, 61 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:09,200 Speaker 1: of course, the Simon wats Award this week for tuning 62 00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:12,560 Speaker 1: up in the unusual hours. We did pre record that 63 00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:14,800 Speaker 1: earlier this morning, but it was midnight in China and 64 00:03:14,840 --> 00:03:17,280 Speaker 1: he stayed up specifically in China for us to do that, 65 00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:20,640 Speaker 1: So the Simon Watts Award goes to Mark Patterson for 66 00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:23,880 Speaker 1: the week. For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen 67 00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:26,920 Speaker 1: live to news talks it'd be from six am weekdays, 68 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:29,120 Speaker 1: or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.