Imports supply more than 60% of the pork New Zealand eats
She says pig health is a competitive advantage because New Zealand is free from many diseases found overseas.
|October 28, 2026Listen to the full interview:
Imported pork is both the biggest challenge and an opportunity for New Zealand’s pork sector.
Massey University senior research officer and New Zealand Pork animal welfare science adviser Dr Kirsty Chidgey says imports overtook domestic pork by volume in about 2014 because they are so much cheaper.
“Over 60% of the pork consumed in New Zealand is imported from over 20 different countries,” she says.
She says animal welfare regulations have made one difference above all.
“Their confidence to invest, which is already happening, is the biggest change for having those regulations in place.”
She says 60% to 70% of the cost of production comes down to feed, and a small levy-funded sector struggles to meet co-funding thresholds, so New Zealand Pork has developed its own research strategy.
To learn more, visit nzpork.co.nz
Watch the full interview:
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