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Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy has welcomed Pipfruit New Zealand onboard as the third industry to join the Government’s biosecurity partnership.

The Deed of the Government Industry Agreement (GIA) for Biosecurity Readiness and Response was signed by Pipfruit New Zealand today.

“This means that apple and pear growers and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) can work closely together and make joint decisions on readiness and response to manage mutual high priority biosecurity pests,” says Mr Guy.

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy and Trade Minister Tim Groser have welcomed the one year anniversary today of the Economic Cooperation Agreement between New Zealand and the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu on Economi

Associate Minister for Primary Industries Jo Goodhew has welcomed the implementation of a programme that allows timber products to be exported to Australia without chemical treatment.

“After a successful trial last summer, the Secure Pathway Programme has been opened up to industry in a bid to reduce the use of methyl bromide during the flight season of the burnt pine longhorn beetle,” Mrs Goodhew says.

“All exporters now have a new option for treating products such as sawn timber, timber mouldings, panel products and veneer sheets.

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy and Food Safety Minister Jo Goodhew have received the final report from the Government’s inquiry into the whey protein concentrate contamination incident last year.

Ministers will now consider the report and its recommendations. The report will be released along with the Government’s response within the next few weeks.

This part of the inquiry looks at how the potentially contaminated whey protein concentrate entered the New Zealand and international market, and how this was subsequently addressed.

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy has outlined his goal for the primary sector to double the value of exports by 2025 today in a speech to industry leaders in Wellington today.

“The export double goal is an ambitious but achievable target, which will require export growth of around 5% a year,” says Mr Guy.

“This target is based on 2012 export figures of $32 billion for the primary sector, with the aim of raising this to $64 billion by 2025.

It’s great to be here at the Roxy Cinema in Miramar, in the heart of New Zealand’s film industry. It’s a hugely successful industry with lessons the primary sector can learn from. 

It’s also great to be able to speak in front of so many primary sector leaders. The Primary Sector Bootcamp for me is about sharing ideas, global awareness, and building connectivity between industry and the government.

John [Hon John Luxton, Chair Dairy NZ], Tim [Tim Mackle Chief Executive] and members of the Dairy NZ Board for organizing this event.

I would like to acknowledge my Parliamentary colleagues: Hon Damien O’Connor, Ian McKelvie, Barbara Kuriger, and Fletcher Tabuteau.

There are also a large number of CE’s and leaders from business, government and local government here, including Kingi Smiler, Chairman of Miraka and Laurie Margrain, Chairman for Open Country Dairy, and Martyn Dunne, Director General of the Ministry for Primary Industries.

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy has visited hail-affected orchards in the Tasman region and says growers are coping well despite the damage caused last week.

“The massive hailstorm last Tuesday has caused a range of damage to approximately 40 apple and kiwifruit orchards around Motueka, Riwaka and lower Moutere,” Mr Guy says.

This is my first visit to India, and it is clear the opportunity and potential here is abundant.

My time here has been very successful. I have just come from a meeting with my counterpart, the Indian Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh.

I took the opportunity to note that New Zealand is sharing its expertise in the fields of agribusiness, IT, hospitality and tourism with India.

Good afternoon everyone, and welcome to the second Primary Growth Partnership Expo.

I want to start by acknowledging the industry partners who have committed to the PGP programmes; the business leaders who have supported these projects, and MPI and PGP programme partners who have organised today’s Expo.

I would like to pass on Minister Guy’s apologies for his absence today. He is currently leading a trade and enterprise mission to India and Sri Lanka.

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy has finished the first leg of a six day mission to Sri Lanka and India this week, promoting trade and New Zealand’s co-hosting of the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2015.

Mr Guy met with President Rajapaksa and several Sri Lankan Ministers over the last two days.

“Our two countries are building a stronger relationship through the New Zealand-Sri Lanka Dairy Cooperation Arrangement (DCA). The DCA is our commitment to the development of Sri Lanka’s dairy industry,” says Mr Guy.

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy is leading a six-day New Zealand trade mission to Sri Lanka and India, departing tomorrow.

The Minister will be accompanied by representatives of 15 New Zealand organisations as well as ex-New Zealand cricket captain Stephen Fleming, who is coach of the Chennai Super Kings cricket team.

“This trade mission to Colombo, Delhi and Mumbai is a great opportunity to profile New Zealand’s co-hosting of the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup in just 100 days to two cricketing nations,” says Mr Guy.

It’s great to be here today at the official opening of Fonterra’s new UHT milk processing plant.

This is a $126 million project which has been completed in just 12 months, and has created 100 new local jobs.

It’s a real vote of confidence in New Zealand’s dairy industry, which continues to be a major contributor to our economy. Dairy is our biggest single export earner.

It was a great honour to be re-elected for a third term in Government, and to be reappointed as Primary Industries Minister.

Over the last two years as Minister I’ve strongly advocated irrigation and I see the election result as a mandate for our approach.

The need for new irrigation and water storage has been highlighted by severe droughts over the previous two summers.

In fact it is wasteful that we only capture around 2 per cent of rainfall in New Zealand, with the rest roaring out to sea.

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce and Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy today announced the Government will invest more than $15 million over a maximum of seven years to support four research partnerships that will benefit New Zealand’s primary industries. 

“These investments will enhance industry involvement and collaboration on strategic research, and improve the performance of key parts of our primary industries leading to increased exports,” Mr Joyce says.

Thank you for the invite.

I want to start by saying that as Minister I’m committed to a vibrant, profitable and sustainable aquaculture industry for New Zealand.

Your industry is a priority for us as a Government and we have a strategy to support this.

Your goal of reaching $1 billion in annual sales fits in with our goal of doubling the value of primary sector exports by 2025.

Challenges ahead

It’s great to be here tonight, talking to everyone involved in Fieldays. This is the biggest event of its kind in the southern hemisphere, attracting nearly 120,000 visitors this year including a large number of international visitors and delegations.

I’ve been coming for a number of years and I’m always blown away by the technology and innovation on display. Fieldays also plays a big part in helping connect rural and urban kiwis, showing off what’s best about the primary industries.

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy has congratulated Precision Seafood Harvesting (PSH) for winning the Innovation in Sustainability & Clean Tech award and the Supreme Innovator award at the New Zealand Innovators Awards in Auckland tonight.

“This is a Primary Growth Partnership (PGP) programme, jointly funded by industry and government, with the potential to change the way the world catches fish.