Despite What Some Say in the Cities

"Despite what some in the cities may say, the rural sector was the backbone of the export economy," Minister of Food, Fibre, Biosecurity, and Border Control said this afternoon in response to a question in the House

"Last year over $20 billion was exported in total from New Zealand. Of that $15 billion is generated by food and fibre sectors. - that's almost three quarters of every dollar earned comes originally from the land or sea and is generated by the effort and investment of rural New Zealanders."

Mr Luxton said that rural people are important. People in the cities, including those on the opposition benches should remember that he concluded.