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Agriculture Minister David Carter has today extended drought relief to cover the Waikato region and Ruapehu District.

Mr Carter met with Waikato farmers, the local Rural Support Trust and industry representatives west of Hamilton today to discuss the worsening dry conditions. 

The Minister declared the two areas medium-level drought zones which steps up funding for local Rural Support Trusts to assist farming communities, and provides farm management advice and welfare support.

Biosecurity Minister David Carter tonight welcomed the unanimous support of Parliament for the first reading of the National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) Bill.

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

A bill proposing the most significant changes to the Biosecurity Act in more than a decade passed its first reading in Parliament last night and was sent to select committee.

The Biosecurity Law Reform Bill includes a wide range of amendments to the Act, along with related amendments to four other Acts.

“New Zealand has developed a highly effective biosecurity system which is recognised as world-leading, but the Act has not kept pace with the way the system has had to evolve,” Biosecurity Minister David Carter said in introducing the bill.

The Government is coming to the aid of Northland farmers facing worsening drought conditions.

Agriculture Minister David Carter has today declared all areas north of the Auckland Harbour Bridge a medium-level drought zone, triggering relief measures for farmers.

These include funding for Rural Support Trusts to provide help, welfare support and farm management advice.

Mr Carter has been in Northland today meeting with farmers, Rural Support Trust members and primary sector representatives to discuss the dry conditions.

Agriculture Minister David Carter has today confirmed the Government’s commitment of $30 million annually until 2015 to manage bovine tuberculosis (TB).

"New Zealand is widely recognised as the world leader in TB management through its integrated disease control programme, and the Government is committed to supporting efforts to rid farmers of this disease," says Mr Carter.

Agriculture Minister David Carter has announced that the use of sow stalls on New Zealand pig farms is to be limited to four weeks after mating in 2012, and prohibited by the end of 2015.

Mr Carter has today released the Animal Welfare (Pigs) Code of Welfare 2010 which will come into effect on Friday.

“The growing unease of many New Zealanders about the use of sow stalls, which I share, made it clear that change was necessary. The science also supports this,” says Mr Carter.

Biosecurity Minister David Carter has tonight welcomed strong support from kiwifruit growers for a government/industry plan to fight Psa disease.

The Government has announced it is committing $25 million, subject to a dollar-for-dollar match from the kiwifruit industry, to fund an urgent aggressive containment strategy to fight Psa disease.<

Confirmation this morning that Psa disease has spread outside of the Te Puke area is a blow and shows how fast-changing the situation is, says Biosecurity Minister David Carter.

A programme of ‘aggressive containment' is the immediate action in the battle against Psa disease in the Bay of Plenty, says Biosecurity Minister David Carter.

Biosecurity Minister David Carter says the number of orchards confirmed as having the kiwifruit vine disease Psa remains at three, with one orchard returning a negative result and one other waiting

Biosecurity Minister David Carter says tests have now confirmed that the kiwifruit vine disease Psa is on three orchards in the Te Puke area, and a further two orchards have been placed in quaranti

Mr Speaker, I wish to make a ministerial statement under Standing Order 347 to inform the House of a matter of significant public importance, in relation to the detection of the kiwifruit vine dise

Biosecurity Minister David Carter is reassuring kiwifruit growers that the Government is treating a newly discovered vine infection on a North Island kiwifruit orchard very seriously, and is making

Agriculture Minister David Carter today (1am Thursday 21 October NZ time) in Wageningen launched a joint programme between the Netherlands and New Zealand aimed at solving global protein shortages.

Agriculture Minister David Carter today congratulated the four South Island projects and one North Island project, on their successful applications to the newly expanded Community Irrigation Fund.

Agriculture Minister David Carter today announced that the Government will undertake a full review of the Raw Milk Regulations in March 2011.

Agriculture Minister David Carter will lead a delegation to the first APEC Ministerial Meeting on Food Security in Japan this week, followed by bilateral talks with senior government Ministers in E

Five new appointments have been made to the committee which oversees the performance of New Zealand's biosecurity system, Biosecurity Minister David Carter announced today.

The launch today of a major national equine industry event is a welcome addition to the Mystery Creek calendar, says Agriculture Minister David Carter.

Agriculture Minister David Carter has appointed an eight-member strong Agriculture Emissions Trading Scheme Advisory Committee.

Storm-stricken farmers in Southland and South Otago are to get assistance from the Government.

A comprehensive report by the Land and Water Forum on the management of freshwater in New Zealand has been welcomed today by Environment Minister Nick Smith and Agriculture Minister David Carter.&n