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Mr Speaker, I move that the National Animal Identification and Tracing Bill be now read a first time. 

At the appropriate time, I intend to move that the Bill be considered by the Primary Production Select Committee.
Mr Speaker, New Zealand has a highly effective biosecurity system to manage the risks posed by harmful organisms, including the risks to our very important livestock industries. 

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.

Welcome to Parliament.

I want to start by extending my thanks to Professor Andy Buchanan, the Timber Design Society and NZ Wood for your long-standing commitment to providing your expertise and services to this industry.

Forestry is critical to New Zealand’s growth agenda.

It is New Zealand’s third largest merchandise export earner, accounting for 10 percent of all merchandise exports and generating around $4 billion in export revenues a year. The forest industry also contributes around 2.8 percent of GDP.

Thank you for inviting me here today to close your conference.

But more importantly thank you for your commitment to Rural Support Trusts.

It has been a busy year – droughts, floods, storms and earthquakes.

Unfortunately, I am unable to stand here and tell you that it is going to get any easier; instead it looks like you are in for a busy summer.

Tomorrow I’m heading to Northland – where it’s my expectation I will see a very serious situation.

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.

Good morning. Thank you Jim (Cotman) for the introduction.

Here in the Waikato, I certainly don’t need to tell this audience how vitally important the dairy industry is to the New Zealand economy.

As I’ve said previously, South Africa has diamonds, Australia has minerals, Saudi Arabia has oil – and in New Zealand we have farming based on pasture.

Dairy holds the lion’s share of our primary production system.

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.

Good morning ladies and gentlemen.

Thank you, Chris (Laidlaw) for your introduction.. I am pleased to have the opportunity to help set the scene at this water symposium.

I would like to acknowledge our hosts, the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council. Can I also acknowledge my ministerial colleague, Hon. Nick Smith and my parliamentary colleagues, Chris Tremain and Craig Foss.

Everyone here today has a clear goal of working together on future planning for freshwater.

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

Good morning. Can I firstly acknowledge Federated Farmers' President Don Nicolson, Vice-president Donald Aubrey, National Council members and CEO Conor English.

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

It gives me great pleasure to be opening today's session on dairy farming and sustainability.

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

Good evening everyone and welcome to the launch of Ten Years of Grassroots Action.

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.

I am very pleased to be here today to express the New Zealand Government's support for the relationship between Wageningen University and Research Centre and Massey University, and specifically our

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.