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Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy will depart for Argentina tomorrow to attend the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) conference.

“This will be a valuable opportunity to meet with my counterparts from Latin America, the US, Canada and the Caribbean, to discuss some of the issues and opportunities facing the agricultural sector across the world.

“Some of the issues covered will include the work of the Global Research Alliance of which New Zealand is a major supporter, and the importance of water storage and management.”

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy has today announced a range of measures aimed at continuing the rebuild of the Snapper 1 stock for future generations.

“This is a balanced and fair package which will ultimately mean more fish for everyone in the coming years.

Trade Minister Tim Groser and Minister for Primary Industries Nathan Guy today outlined an initial plan to reassert New Zealand’s reputation in key markets following the reported potential contamination of Fonterra-produced whey protein concentrate.

“Minister Guy and I have been in close contact with the affected primary sector business throughout the past weeks. We all agree that a coordinated, all of Government response is needed,” says Mr Groser.

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy says he is disappointed in false claims by Labour MP Damien O’Connor over the terms of reference for the Ministerial inquiry into whey protein concentrate contamination (WPC) incident.

“Mr O’Connor is completely wrong, again. The terms of the inquiry have been widened, not narrowed, and still cover testing by AgResearch,” says Mr Guy.

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy and Food Safety Minister Nikki Kaye have today confirmed details of the Government’s investigation into the whey protein concentrate contamination (WPC) incident, including two further members.

“Now that the Inquiries Act has passed into law, the terms of reference have been finalised and the appointments of Tony Nowell CNZM and Dr Anne Astin as inquiry members have been confirmed. The Inquiry will be officially established once it is notified in the New Zealand Gazette on 12 September 2013,” says Mr Guy.

Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith and Minister for Primary Industries Nathan Guy are requiring that all fishing vessels in the Southern Blue Whiting fishery around the Campbell Islands use Sea Lion Exclusion Devices after 16 New Zealand Sea Lion fatalities in the past three weeks.

A bill to strengthen protection of animals in New Zealand has passed its first reading unanimously in Parliament today.

“The Animal Welfare Amendment Bill will improve the enforceability, clarity, and transparency of the Animal Welfare Act 1999,” says Mr Guy.

“This will strengthen an already well performing animal welfare system.

It has been 14 years since the Animal Welfare Act was passed, and a review of this Act was long overdue.

The Primary Sector CEO Bootcamp conference over the last two days has been a major success, says Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy.

“Over the last two days in Wellington this conference has brought together 35 top agribusiness leaders and five Government agency Chief Executives into one room, representing 80% of all our primary sector exports,” says Mr Guy.

“The Bootcamp initiative started in 2012 and has involved CEOs working together to grow our export earnings and take advantage of major opportunities around the world.

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy and Food Safety Minister Nikki Kaye have today released the draft terms of inquiry for the Government’s investigation into the whey protein concentrate contamination (WPC) incident.

“The Government has agreed in principle to establish a joint Ministerial-led Government Inquiry which will be divided into two parts,” says Mr Guy.

“Part A will look at how the potentially contaminated whey protein concentrate entered the New Zealand and international market, and how this was subsequently addressed.

Trade Minister Tim Groser and Primary Industries Nathan Guy say that officials are working closely with Russian authorities to provide the reassurance they need over New Zealand dairy products.

“Russia has formally notified New Zealand of a temporary restriction of dairy imports from 61 of the 83 dairy plants approved for export to Russia,” says Mr Groser.

Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith and Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy have welcomed the High Court’s decision to dismiss two appeals on the Board of Inquiry’s approval for New Zealand King Salmon to develop new marine farms in the Marlborough Sounds.

The decision of the Board of Inquiry, reached in February 2011, to approve four new salmon farming sites in the Marlborough Sounds was appealed by two parties and that appeal was heard at the High Court in Blenheim in May.

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy says Labour MP David Cunliffe is completely wrong in his claims that changes to the commercial quota for Snapper 1 are off the table.

Section 8.4 on page 58 of the Snapper 1 consultation document says: “The Minister could decide to change existing proportions up or down for either the commercial or recreational sector.”

Trade Minister Tim Groser and Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy have underlined the continued efforts of the New Zealand Government to deal with the market effects of the possible contamination of some Fonterra dairy exports.

“The safety of consumers, especially children, both in New Zealand and in our trading partners remains our number one priority,” says Mr Groser.

Mr Groser says the New Zealand Government is taking a very precautionary approach.  

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy and Customs Minister Maurice Williamson today announced the Government’s $89 million Joint Border Management System has been launched.

Importers, exporters, and their agents and brokers, can now submit shipment details electronically to a single point of contact through the JBMS Trade Single Window, rather than dealing separately with several government agencies.

Thank you for organising this conference today on this very important topic, and for the chance to say a few words.

I had a bit of drama getting here this morning with cancelled flights. It would have been easy to give up and head back to Wellington, but I wanted to be here because biosecurity is my number one priority as Minister.

The New Zealand Biosecurity Institute, the National Pest Control Agencies and your members are a valuable part of the biosecurity system. Raising awareness, sharing knowledge and supporting best practice are all very important.

Today I want to talk to you about my priorities for the primary sector, of which horticulture is a major part. In particular I want to talk about the two goals that the Ministry for Primary Industries has – to grow and protect New Zealand’s economy.

As you all know, the primary sector is the powerhouse of our economy. It is worth around $30 billion a year to the New Zealand economy and makes up around 72 per cent of our exports.

New Zealand’s border inspection system is set to gain a new fleet of x-ray machines, Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy has announced at Horticulture NZ’s annual conference today.

Eleven x-ray machines will replace existing machines at Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington and Queenstown airports used to inspect both the checked-in and hand luggage of people arriving in New Zealand.

Auckland and Christchurch will also receive new technology to reduce the amount of handling required to load and unload luggage onto and off the x-ray machines.

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce and Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy today welcomed the announcement of Primary Growth Partnership funding of $6.75 million to investigate producing biofuels from forestry waste.

The ‘Stump to Pump’ Primary Growth Partnership (PGP) programme partners are Norske Skog, Z Energy and the Government. The Government will match their funding of $6.75 million to bring the project’s total funding to $13.5 million.

Racing Minister Nathan Guy today announced the appointment of Glenda Hughes as Independent Chairperson of the New Zealand Racing Board’s (NZRB’s) governing body.

Ms Hughes was appointed as Independent Chairperson following consultation with the racing industry.

The racing industry makes an important contribution to the New Zealand economy, generating around $1.6 billion annually and around 17000 jobs.

Thank you to the Institute of Agricultural & Horticultural Science for putting together this conference on what is a very important topic, and for inviting me to say a few words.

Before I start I’d like to comment on the title of this conference - Have we gone soft at the border?

I was advised that it would be a ‘courageous’ move to speak at a conference with such a title. But given the importance to me of biosecurity, I saw this event as more of an opportunity than a challenge.

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy has welcomed the beginning of trials for the use of x-ray images to screen airline baggage before it arrives in New Zealand.

The trials are a world-first and involve the transfer of aviation security x-ray images from Melbourne Airport to Auckland for passengers on Air New Zealand flights, while the passenger is on the flight. Passengers will still be subject to clearance requirements prior to boarding the plane.

Environment Minister Amy Adams and Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy have today announced that the Government has finalised the first stage of an action plan to improve water quality and the way freshwater is managed.

The Government released a discussion document in March based on the recommendations of the Land and Water Forum and which gave effect to their core recommendations.

The document outlined a clear path of reform ahead that will be addressed through a comprehensive and measured approach, starting this year.

New rules for meat exports to China will be implemented on Monday next week, Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy and Food Safety Minister Nikki Kaye said today.

“On Thursday we were made aware that China had issued new rules for New Zealand meat certification,” Ministers say.

“In the last 48 hours we have sought clarity around the impacts of those requirements and officials have negotiated their implementation.”

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy says a memorandum signed today between Landcorp Farming and Massey University and their Chinese counterparts will further strengthen the close ties between China and New Zealand in the agricultural sector.

The memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Anhui Agricultural University, Anhui Anxin Husbandry Development Limited and Anhui Provincial Government Decision-Making Cultural Exchange Centre provides collaboration on sheep farming and pasture growth opportunities in Anhui province.