The Blueprint for Partnership with the New Zealand Government, presented by Beef + Lamb NZ and the Meat Industry Association was a list of policy areas where the sector believed key advances could be made to help increase its contribution to the economy.
The sector had made steps to improve industry collaboration, evidenced through the development of the unique NZ red meat story but it also saw collaboration with the Government as increasingly essential.
MIA chief executive Tim Ritchie said “The sector contributed $7 billion to NZ’s total GDP last year and we aim to increase this in coming years through partnership and collaboration with government and others.”
The manifesto included 10 priorities, headed by the environment.
B+LNZ chief executive Sam McIvor said “The environment is a significant focus for the sector, with managing our impact on water quality a key priority alongside climate change and biodiversity.”
“We are already undertaking substantial work in the environment space but need government to work alongside the sector in developing policy equipping farmers with the right knowledge, tools and support for continuous improvement.”
The document called for a governmental approach that balanced environmental, economic, social and cultural outcomes.
The sector wanted it recognised not all farming systems had the same impact and that should reflect transitions times and costs that might be imposed with changes required by farming.
While supportive of re-afforestation in erodible, unproductive land, the sector did not support productive hill country being viewed as a carbon sink for the rest of the country.
Ritchie said addressing non-tariff barriers that plagued the sector was a key priority as was ensuring NZ’s sheep meat and beef access to the United Kingdom and European Union was not eroded post-Brexit.
The manifesto raised issues that would affect the sector in the longer term including training, which it said needed the Government to support new qualifications to accelerate career paths in the industry and increased funding for sheep and beef farm training programmes to account for farm owners’ and managers’ remote locations and need for smaller training group sizes.
It also wantsed halal slaughterers on the long-term skills shortage and the establishment of a small, special immigration programme to source necessary workers from overseas.
