INDIGENOUS FOOD POTENTIAL Māori Development Minister and Associate Minister for Economic Development Te Ururoa Flavell believes Māori food and beverage producers could enjoy a significant windfall if their economic relationship with Malaysia is strengthened. Flavell says Malaysia is a proven market opportunity with plenty of untapped scope to explore for Māori businesses, as it is already one of New Zealand’s top 10 trading partners and the second biggest in the ASEAN region. Market forecasts expect total food and beverage sales in Malaysia to grow to around US $21.17 billion in the next three years. “We have a close relationship with Malaysia, including strong ties in trade, security and education, and we want to build on our strengths in areas like food and beverage which offers huge potential for added value consumer branded products,” Flavell says. “There’s been some really good progress, but we want to take advantage of the buoyant economy to make some permanent gains for Māori. Positioning and profiling Māori food and beverage brands and product ranges in the Malaysian market is one of the key outcomes - we know 12 JUNE 2017 supporting our people to develop strong export relationships is vital for Aotearoa and our aim is to make Māori businesses internationally successful.” Joining the Minister on a recent business and cultural mission to Malaysia were seven business leaders from the food and beverage, dairy, seafood and tourism sectors. The group connected with government and business leaders in Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu and Singapore. “They are important business leaders in the Māori economy which has a blueprint to be a productive, innovative, export-oriented and internationally connected powerhouse,” Flavell says. “This blueprint is called He kai kei aku ringa, the Crown-Māori Economic Growth Partnership – and is a metaphor for the self-determination of Māori which literally means ‘growing food by our own hands’. As indigenous people to the Asia-Pacific region we share ancient links and values, our visit presents an opportunity for us to foster Māori-Malaysian business and cultural connections, by initiating new links that put relationships first, before getting down to business.”
FT-Jun17
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