LIST MP DAVID CARTER in Port Hills

37th Annual National Deer Industry Conference

nospam@example.com (admin) — Tue, 15 May 2012 20:39:00 +1200

I am delighted to have the opportunity to reflect on the important contribution that deer farming has made – and continues to make – to the New Zealand economy, and to underline the Government’s continued support to enable the deer sector to achieve its potential.

This season has certainly been a good one for most of us in the primary sector with relatively strong prices and abundant and timely rainfall. The only region that seems to have had it tough seasonally is Southland in Spring.

As a former deer farmer, I am pleased to see venison prices holding at seven to nine dollars a kilo, and steady returns for velvet compared to last year.

The healthy performance across most of the primary sectors has enabled our economy to weather the storms of the Canterbury earthquakes and the global financial crisis.

No one in this audience will need reminding that New Zealand relies heavily on its primary industries for its economic stability.

The deer industry, with export revenue of about $250 million, may be smaller than some other pastoral sectors, but it is a standout in the way it has focused on the value chain, and now you must focus on driving up productivity improvements.

As an organisation, you’re lean, agile, and you have astutely positioned your products at the premium, and lucrative, end of the market.

This country’s deer industry is a role model that other sectors can learn much from.

To realise New Zealand’s potential economic growth, the primary industries must continue to collaborate, innovate, build on its strengths and keep its commitment to producing safe, high-quality food in a sustainable manner.

I know that the deer industry has a good grip on each of these factors for success.

This Government is committed to actively supporting you in four specific areas that I want to elaborate on today.

• Firstly, by boosting New Zealand’s access to Asian markets, and China, in particular.

• Secondly, by creating responsible water and environmental policies to unlock the productive potential of land in a responsible way.

• Thirdly, by providing funding for initiatives that will stimulate further industry growth, such as through the well-known Primary Growth Partnership and Sustainable Farming Fund.

• And finally, by maintaining a world class biosecurity system.

So, market access to Asia –

Successive governments have recognised the importance of market access for New Zealand exports, and our Free Trade Agreements are now generating real benefits for our exporters.

We can expect to see continued benefits as more tariff reductions are implemented over time.

The Free Trade Agreement with China has created new opportunities and a favourable environment for New Zealand exporters.

In just three and a half years, China has become our second largest trading partner and our largest market for food and agricultural products – up by a staggering 40 percent in the last financial year.

So we are well on the way to realising the Prime Minister’s ambition, which is shared by China’s leaders, to double our bilateral trade to $20 billion by 2015.

This Government has had an ambitious trade agenda in recent years because we know that it brings real opportunities to primary producers and exporters.

And we’re not taking our foot off the pedal.

We are in free trade agreement talks with eight Trans-Pacific Partnership countries, plus India and South Korea.

We are also hoping to begin negotiations with Taiwan, which would be a very significant market for New Zealand deer velvet.

Some of the noise around the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade at the moment is about ensuring that our public services are fully engaged with the aspirations of our exporters.

This is important for our country’s economic success.

Our economy relies on exports, so we must establish and maintain close relationships with all our trading countries if we are to fully capitalise on the considerable potential that exists in the developing economies within Asia and India.

The next of this Government’s initiatives of real relevance to you is water policy.

Our country may receive plenty of rainfall, but not always in the right place or at the right time.

Earlier this year we announced the Hawke’s Bay’s Ruataniwha Project as the first successful bid for the Irrigation Acceleration Fund.

This proposal stands to unlock enormous potential for the region through increasing the quantity of irrigable land from 6000 to around 22,000 hectares.

Another two bids are close to being at contract stage – that’s the Tilverstowe and Manuherikea projects, both here in the Otago region.

Several more will also be finalised shortly.

This Government’s $35 million investment from this fund – alongside the $400 million from the Future Investment Fund for the construction of well-designed irrigation schemes – will kick start new regional prosperity, increased productivity, and lift export value.

Another thing I want to discuss with you is the considerable support available to your industry through the Primary Growth Partnership and Sustainable Farming Fund.

In just three years, the Primary Growth Partnership has pledged a staggering half a billion dollars to primary sector research and innovation that will really drive the industry forward.

Meanwhile, 16 Sustainable Farming Fund projects have focused directly on the deer industry – from providing information to herd owners about managing Johne’s Disease to producing the Deer Farmers Landcare Manual.

I’m pleased to announce that in the Fund’s most recent round, we are again partnering with the deer industry.

Funding has been granted for a project to investigate how UHF technology can complement the upcoming mandatory use of RFID tagging to help decision making on-farm.

The final big topic I want to talk about today is the Government’s approach to biosecurity.

This has been a topical issue for the media for the last few days, but for me, it’s always a high priority.

I was in Auckland over the weekend to see the Queensland fruit fly investigation in operation.

This situation could be very serious for our horticulture industry, but it’s looking increasing likely that it was a single fruit fly caught before it could create any problems.

Surveillance is part of our biosecurity system. The trapping of a single fruit fly, while of some concern, demonstrates that the system, as a whole, is working as we expect it to.

I am proud of the rigour of our biosecurity system.

It is world class and has successfully kept New Zealand free of most major pests and diseases, despite the increased movement of people and cargo around the globe.

High visibility activities of border quarantine inspections and detector dogs are backed up by a range of many activities offshore, at the border, and within our borders, and all these activities are continuously reviewed and strengthened.

In a few weeks, NAIT will start to become mandatory. Eight years in the development and initiated in response to industry demand and a major biosecurity scare, NAIT will strengthen our biosecurity system and enhance our international trade reputation.

I know the deer industry is well versed on NAIT and is well prepared for its mandatory inclusion in March next year.

The Foot and Mouth disease simulation held in March this year is another example of how we take action to improve our readiness and response capability.

Even though all those participating knew that it was just ‘make-believe’, it was a sobering experience to be deliberating on some of the tough decisions that we’d need to take if the disease was ever identified here.

It was a successful exercise, with important lessons learned.

It’s important to remember that all New Zealanders have a role in protecting the environment that we value, and this is where Government and industry agreements come in.

To make the best decisions, we need the best information, the best use of resources, and we all need to work in partnership.

DINZ has been one of the leaders in Government and industry biosecurity readiness for some years now through the chronic wasting disease surveillance scheme.

The rationale for Government and industry agreements is about building on this – achieving better biosecurity for New Zealand through sharing the decision-making and sharing the costs to prepare for, and respond to new, unwanted organisms.

I want to finish today by reaffirming this Government’s commitment to its role to support New Zealand deer farmers in staying at the top of their game.

Our country’s future, like its past, will continue to rely on primary production, which this Government fully understands and appreciates.

Your conference programme has a focus on productivity this year, and I am sure this will generate new ideas and thinking that your industry will successfully bring to fruition in the years ahead.

Thank you.

Speech to Beef + Lamb NZ Future Farming Conference

nospam@example.com (admin) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 15:56:16 +1300

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen.

I know it’s a cliché to say that we live in ‘interesting times’ and I could start any speech to an annual meeting by saying this – but for sheep and beef farmers it’s very true.

2011/12 was a bumper season for most farmers. Despite the recent sharp decline in sheep meat prices, it was certainly the best that I have seen in my farming career.

Farmer confidence is high as our industry continues to reduce debt and undertake some of the overdue maintenance on our farms.

But we mustn’t lose sight of the long-term issues facing the sector.

The last 20 years have seen the total number of sheep drop by over 40 percent as land for beef and sheep has converted, mainly to dairy.

This conversion has obviously been because farmers foresaw higher profits, and therefore confidence, in dairy rather than sheep.

We all know that sustained profitability won’t come from relying solely on swings in the commodity market. Nor will it come from individuals and companies acting in isolation.

The sector must focus on where it’s heading long term, and with prices allowing the sector to pick itself up, there’s no better time to look ahead.

This is where the role of Beef + Lamb, as your industry-good body, is so important.

At an international level, the world economy remains precariously balanced.

The USA, the world’s largest economy looks set for many years of subdued performance.

The EU, the world’s largest economic trading bloc, still faces a threatening situation as it decides how to deal with countries like Greece and Italy.

In the past, this would have had a huge impact on New Zealand.

After all, these countries were once our main export markets.

In the 1960’s around three-quarters of our exports were sent offshore to the now depressed markets of the UK, US and Japan.

Today, only 12 percent of our exports are sent to these countries – the same figure we now export to China.

Although these traditional markets are still very important to us, we are lucky to have repositioned ourselves so significantly to Asia, and China is now our second largest trading partner.

In the last financial year (to June 2011) exports to China have jumped by nearly 40 percent.

This trade swap hasn’t happened by accident.

We recognise the importance of market access for all of our exports. It is great to see Free Trade Agreements reaping benefits, and this will continue as tariff reductions are progressively implemented.

The Prime Minister’s ambition, shared by China’s leaders, is to double bilateral trade to China to NZ$20 billion by 2015.

New Zealand has an ambitious trade agenda and we’re not taking our foot off the pedal.

We are also in talks with eight Trans-Pacific Partnership countries, Russia and South Korea to negotiate Free Trade Agreements.

And we are negotiating with India, which currently has a 30 percent tariff on bovine and sheep meat imports.

We are well known here in New Zealand as producers of some of the best food in the world, at a time when food security is the world’s greatest challenge.

By 2050 the world will have at least nine billion mouths to feed and the international appetite for high quality product will continue to grow.

The overarching challenge for New Zealand is to position itself, and maintain its reputation, as a quality food producer.

Our customers are demanding safe food that’s processed with both animal welfare and the environment at the forefront of farming systems.

This suits New Zealand – we are not the cheapest but our reputation as a leading producer is internationally recognised.

We need to play to our strengths and protect the New Zealand brand that sets us apart from our rivals.

New Zealand is well positioned to tap into opportunities for "greener" growth and development, and find solutions for the challenges involved.

That’s why we appointed a Green Growth Advisory group last year.

We asked the Group to look at the potential to maximise our competitive advantage of New Zealand’s clean, green image.

Its recent report brings together ideas that will help the Government build a more productive and competitive economy, while meeting environmental objectives.

It reinforces the value of the achievements of our first term in areas like water, waste and climate change, but challenges us with new ideas to consider in this term.

Speaking of climate change, I want to assure you that we stand by our commitment that agriculture will only enter the ETS in 2015 or later, if there are practical technologies to reduce emissions, and if our trading partners have made further progress with their climate change policies to reduce emissions.

I’d like to talk briefly now about water – New Zealand’s ‘liquid gold’.

Water is possibly the biggest opportunity to grow our economy.

We have plenty of it, but as we know it’s not always in the right place, at the right time.

Earlier this year we announced the first successful bid for the Irrigation Acceleration Fund (IAF) – the Ruataniwha Project here in the Hawke’s Bay.

This proposal stands to unlock enormous potential for the region, with the amount of irrigable land likely to increase from 6000ha to around 22,000ha.

The Government’s provision of $400 million from the Future Investment Fund to support the construction of well-designed irrigation schemes – along with the $35 million Irrigation Acceleration Fund – stand to greatly boost prosperity for the primary sector.

I want to see more areas of New Zealand reliably irrigated and I’m pleased that discussions are taking place with promoters of schemes in the Wairarapa, Marlborough, Canterbury, Otago – and of course here in Hawke’s Bay.

This work must be done sooner rather than later.

And if we do it right we will reap the rewards of these irrigation schemes for the next 100 years or more.

I also want to see more innovation in the primary sector.

The Primary Growth Partnership, a Government-industry initiative, has so far pledged over half a billion dollars towards cutting-edge primary sector innovation.

This is the largest-ever funding injection in this space.

Beef + Lamb NZ have submitted a PGP bid focussed on implementing the on-farm elements of the Red Meat Sector Strategy.

The programme aims to grow the red meat sector by 15 percent, or $2.7 billion.

The programme will develop farmers’ ability to better respond to market signals by creating the tools and know-how to deliver animals that meet processor requirements.

Beef + Lamb’s programme can be aligned with the existing FarmIQ Programme. In fact, it is critical the two projects coordinate and ensure the programmes complement each other – and this will require the cooperation of all parties involved.

The development of PGP programmes to transform the meat industry is encouraging, but considerable effort will be required to build on the momentum that’s been gained so far.

Looking ahead, Beef + Lamb is fast approaching its next referendum.

This is the chance for democracy to judge the performance of your organisation.

Your survival as an industry-good body depends on farmers’ confidence in your performance.

But as we saw with the wool vote in 2009, our industry would face an uncertain future without Beef + Lamb.

To ensure this doesn’t happen, farmers must better understand exactly what they are voting for.

And they can rightfully expect a red meat sector showing greater unity and cooperation than we have seen in the past.

There has been progress.

The Red Meat Sector Strategy, and subsequent Strategy Coordination group is a good example of collaboration between industry and Government.

Beef + Lamb NZ, MAF and the Meat Industry Association are working together to develop and deliver the Strategy.

While it acknowledges the complexity and uniqueness of the meat industry, its recommendations are clear – behavioural change and transformation is essential.

I want to finish today by reaffirming this Government’s commitment to ensuring New Zealand farmers stay at the top of the global game.

Our country’s future, like its past, will continue to rely on primary production, and this Government understands and appreciates this.

I encourage you to always look ahead and take advantage of the opportunities that will make New Zealand sheep and beef even more successful in the future.

Thank you.

Video update: 08 March 2012

nospam@example.com (admin) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 18:03:34 +1300

Primary Industries Minister David Carter talks about changes around DIRA and raw milk regulations, foreign charter vessels, the high country lease issue - and the decision to rebrand MAF.

Livestock tracing bill passes third reading

nospam@example.com (admin) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:19:29 +1300

A bill to deliver electronic national identification and tracing of livestock has passed its third and final reading in Parliament.

Primary Industries Minister David Carter says the National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) Bill is a significant step in protecting farmers in the international marketplace and strengthening New Zealand’s biosecurity system.

"NAIT is a partnership between industry and the Crown which started in 2004 in recognition of the growing need for better animal identification and tracing systems."

The NAIT Bill sets out the legal framework for the collection of information on livestock, their location and movement history throughout their lifetime. It also outlines the governance arrangement and powers for the NAIT organisation.

"NAIT needs to be mandatory to be effective. It will begin with cattle on 1 July this year, and deer by 1 March 2013," says Mr Carter.

"With most other agricultural producing nations already having computerised tracing of individual animals, New Zealand simply cannot afford to lag behind.

"NAIT is effectively an insurance policy to support our high livestock health status and biosecurity infrastructure, but can be used to further improve productivity and on-farm management."

Mr Carter acknowledged the work of the previous government in developing NAIT and the ongoing commitment of the livestock and animal products industries to the scheme.

Speech to Foundation for Arable Research Conference

nospam@example.com (admin) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 13:41:24 +1300

Good morning ladies and gentlemen. I am delighted to be here.

Your conference theme, Beyond our Boundaries, suits the arable industry down to the ground. It encourages your farmers to strive for growth and embrace innovation, something that also fits well with the Government’s goal.

As the Parliamentary year gets underway the Prime Minister has taken the opportunity to outline the aspirations of this National-led Government.

We must grow the New Zealand economy in order to deliver greater prosperity, security and opportunity for all New Zealanders.

To do this we have set out four priorities that will help us rebuild and strengthen the country.

The first is to get the Government’s books back in order.

The Government is committed to returning to Budget surplus in 2014/15.

This is something we campaigned on and something we are determined to achieve.

It will involve delivering on our pre-election promise of the Mixed Ownership Model of four State Owned Enterprises, because we believe the capital released by these sales can be better utilised in other asset developments such as water storage – something I will comment on later.

Our second priority is to build a more competitive and productive economy.

Every sector has a responsibility to lift its game. There are no exceptions, and your arable sector has an important role to play.

Our third priority is to deliver better public services for families and businesses, within the tight budgets the Government is operating under. The public service spends your money. You deserve quality services that are delivered effectively and efficiently, using the latest available technology.

The unified and redesigned Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is an example of the work we are doing to improve our public service.

With food safety and fisheries now under the MAF umbrella, the Ministry is strongly focussed on the success of the primary sectors, which over the last few years have demonstrated to us all that they are the very engine room of New Zealand's export economy.

The Government’s final priority is to get on with rebuilding Christchurch, our second largest city.

2011 was about dealing with the damage and destruction caused by the devastating earthquakes.

2012 must be about starting to rebuild a vibrant, strong city.

Christchurch presents a huge economic opportunity, with considerable overseas capital about to flow courtesy of the international insurance market.

But it will require a strongly performing hinterland. With Canterbury such a major agricultural province, the wealth flowing from the surrounding rural areas back into the city will be a major economic catalyst during this rebuild.

The timing couldn’t be better. We’re entering an era of primary sector buoyancy.

2011 was a bumper year for most farmers. It is certainly the best that I have seen in my 35 year plus farming career.

Farmer confidence is high as our industry continues to reduce debt and undertake some of the overdue maintenance on our farms.

Your arable sector, and maize growers in particular look set to benefit from dairy growth in recent years, and its strong outlook.

Our dairy industry is huge. It’s New Zealand’s biggest export earner accounting for around 30 percent of our export revenue.

New Zealand dairy exports account for around a third of all international dairy trade.

In my opinion there is potential for the arable and dairy industries to work better together.

I’d like to congratulate the Foundation of Arable Research and DairyNZ for their work in exploring the benefits of arable crop rotations in dairy systems to control nutrient leaching.

I also applaud FAR for its support of the Arable Industry Marketing initiative. This initiative aims to ensure future sustainability and improve competitiveness for the industry.

Looking ahead there are two areas that I think the primary sector and the arable industry in particular, need to pay particular attention to.

They are two areas that I have detailed to the Prime Minister as top priorities within my portfolio.

The first is irrigation and water storage.

Water is possibly our biggest opportunity to grow our economy.

It is New Zealand’s liquid gold.

We have plenty of it, but not always in the right place and at the right time.

This Government’s provision of $400 million from the Future Investment Fund to support the construction of well-designed irrigation schemes, along with the $35 million Irrigation Acceleration Fund, have huge potential to unlock long term prosperity for our primary sectors.

This is something that needs to be done sooner rather than later. By doing it right the first time round we will reap the rewards of these irrigation schemes for at least the next 100 years.

The recent announcement of the first project for the Irrigation Acceleration Fund (IAF) was the Ruataniwha Project in the Hawke’s Bay region.

This proposal stands to unlock enormous potential in the region, with the amount of irrigable land likely to increase from 6000ha to around 22,000ha.

I want to see more areas of New Zealand reliably irrigated and I’m pleased that discussions are taking place with promoters of schemes in the Wairarapa, Marlborough, Canterbury and Otago.

It is important that we get this work underway now when we have a Government that recognises the importance of these projects.

My second priority is biosecurity.

We are an island nation but with increasing tourism and trade there’ll always be risk.

It is important that the Government continues to work closely with industry to ensure our biosecurity system works more efficiently.

The Government is making good progress with its work on Government Industry Agreements or GIAs.

GIAs are about Government and industry working together to prepare for and respond to any possible biosecurity risk.

I encourage the arable sector to get involved. The GIAs present an opportunity for industries to have a say in how we prepare for and respond to unwanted pests and diseases that directly impact on their business.

One tool that was launched last year to support New Zealand’s disease readiness and response programmes is the FarmsOnLine database.

The database holds property location, ownership and land use information so that the Government can rapidly respond in the event of a biosecurity emergency or natural disaster.

Having this type of information and being able to contact farmers quickly in these situations helps protect crops, stock and growers livelihoods, and the New Zealand economy.

It also gives our trading partners confidence in our ability to respond to disease outbreaks.

For those of you also involved in livestock farming, I’m pleased to say that we are seeing good progress with the National Animal Identification and Tracing Scheme or NAIT. Parliament looks set to finally pass the legislation this evening.

NAIT will give assurances around traceability to our consumers and will also better position us to respond to a possible disease incursion.

To conclude, the world financial markets remain at risk. The USA, the world’s largest economy looks set for many years of subdued performance.

The EU, the world’s largest economic trading bloc, faces a threat of implosion as it decides how to deal with countries like Greece and Italy.

Whilst New Zealand is not immune, these markets are still very important to us, we are lucky to have repositioned ourselves so significantly to Asia, and in particular China.

But our real saviour is New Zealand’s reliance on primary production.

We produce some of the best food in the world, at a time when food security is the world’s greatest challenge.

There will continue to be challenges ahead.

The Government will continue working hard to create a field of play where your industry can, and will succeed. But you must play your part too.

It will be teamwork between industry and Government that will deliver the best economic growth this country needs.

Thank you again for inviting me to speak to you this morning – and enjoy the rest of your conference.

Update - 08 February

nospam@example.com (admin) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:58:57 +1300

Primary Industries Minister David Carter talks about several new proposals - including the raw milk rule - before discussing the upcoming legislative agenda for primary industries and his priorities for the coming session.

Government welcomes irrigation fund’s first project

nospam@example.com (admin) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:07:00 +1300

Primary Industries Minister David Carter says the go-ahead for the Irrigation Acceleration Fund’s first project delivers on the Government’s promise to lift economic growth through efficient water use and storage.

Mr Carter welcomed today’s announcement that the IAF and the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council are to jointly fund a $3.3million full feasibility study of the Ruataniwha Water Storage Project.

This takes the total investment in the Project so far to $4.8million, when combined with the investment in pre-feasibility stages already completed.

"This scheme stands to unlock enormous productive potential in the Hawke’s Bay region, with the amount of irrigable land likely to increase from 6000ha to around 22,000ha," says Mr Carter.

The $35million Irrigation Acceleration Fund was announced in last year’s Budget and supports the development of irrigation proposals to the ‘investment ready’ prospectus stage.

"Projects will only succeed if they are committed to good industry practice that promotes efficient water use and environmental management, particularly around land-use intensification," says Mr Carter.

"The Ruataniwha Water Storage Project, with its storage dam on the Makaroro River, has the potential to provide security of supply for Hawke’s Bay farmers, enhance the region’s recreational opportunities and improve river flows in summer.

"Smart irrigation infrastructure development is key to building an innovative, competitive and sustainable rural sector," Mr Carter says.

Consultation on milk pricing, raw milk regulations

nospam@example.com (admin) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:01:00 +1300

Consultation has opened on the Government’s proposed response to reviews of Fonterra’s farm gate milk price setting and the Raw Milk Regulations.

Primary Industries Minister David Carter says comprehensive work by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, with input from economic, regulatory and legal experts, has resulted in a set of preferred options for amendments to the Dairy Industry Restructuring Act (DIRA) and the Raw Milk Regulations.

"These proposals aim to ensure that the DIRA and the Raw Milk Regulations remain a durable platform for the continuing growth of a competitive and innovative dairy sector," says Mr Carter.

"Importantly, the amendments will result in a regulatory regime that promotes a more transparent and efficient dairy market."

Mr Carter says the review of farm gate milk prices found that although Fonterra’s approach is consistent with that expected in a competitive market, lack of transparency remains an issue.

To strengthen confidence in Fonterra’s milk price setting process, the review recommends:

• embedding Fonterra’s current milk price governance arrangements in legislation

• requiring Fonterra to publicly disclose information about its milk price setting

• introducing an annual milk price monitoring regime to be undertaken by the Commerce Commission

The preferred option for the revised Raw Milk Regulations recommends:

• a three-season limit for independent processors who source raw milk directly from farmers

• an increase in the total quantity of milk available under the Raw Milk Regulations to approximately 5% of Fonterra’s milk supply, as currently allowed for in the DIRA

• a range of maximum quantity limits for independent processors accessing milk under the Raw Milk Regulations in different months to reflect the seasonal nature of milk production

Government consultation on these preferred options will be in the form of a draft Bill and a draft set of Regulations. The draft Bill also includes changes that enable Fonterra to move to its proposed Trading Among Farmers (TAF) system, should it choose to.

Should Fonterra not proceed with TAF, or if it is unsuccessful, the review recommends that Fonterra be required to price its shares at ‘fair value’.

"I encourage interested parties to take part in this important consultation process. The DIRA and the Raw Milk Regulations are what’s needed to ensure a fair and efficient dairy industry in New Zealand," Mr Carter says.

Submissions close 24 February 2012.

Consultation on milk pricing, raw milk regulations

nospam@example.com (admin) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:05:13 +1300