Rain puts damper on Xmas berry harvest
A big December wet spell threw a spanner in the works for Canterbury berry growers during the vital pre-Christmas trade.
The importance of strong country of origin labelling reform has been highlighted by a recent international health scare, with four cases of hepatitis A being linked to frozen berries.
AUSVEG claims that the New Zealand health scare, which echoes the outbreak of hepatitis A linked to imported frozen berries in Australia earlier this year, highlights the need for regulations which give consumers the power to choose where their food comes from.
Deputy CEO of AUSVEG Andrew White says, given the similarities that took place in both Australia and New Zealand this year, country of origin labelling is more important than ever.
Australia's leading horticultural body, AUSVEG, representing more than 9,000 Australian vegetable and potato growers, has been an outspoken advocate of labelling reform over many years.
"In recent weeks, we've seen New Zealand raise concerns in the Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation about the impact that Australian country of origin labelling reforms could have on New Zealand food producers who import food into Australia," says White.
White says country of origin labelling will introduce transparency so consumers can make informed decisions about their food purchases.
"The only producers who could possibly be hurt by this kind of reform are those who are importing dangerous produce from countries with lax food safety standards and want to hide this vital information from consumers."
The new health scare has led to New Zealand's opposition parties calling on the Government to introduce mandatory Country of Origin Labelling. New Zealand currently only has voluntary labelling laws.
"It's encouraging to see both the New Zealand Labour Party and the Green Party of New Zealand come forward and call for mandatory Country of Origin Labelling," says White.
"Shoppers deserve to have this kind of information available to them in the supermarket aisle, and New Zealand's statement to the Ministerial Forum goes against all principles of consumer rights."
"Transparent food labelling must apply equally to all countries, regardless of trading relationships, so that consumers get the information they want and sorely need.
Farmer-led charity, Meat the Need is calling for donations to enable it to supply more meals to families in need.
Weaker pricing and demand from China continue to impact New Zealand red meat export earnings.
Fonterra has cemented its position as the country’s number one cheesemaker by picking up nine NZ Champion of Cheese trophies this year.
New Zealand dairy processors are welcoming the Government’s commitment to continuing to push for Canada to honour its trade commitments.
An educational programme, set up by Beef + Land New Zealand, to connect farmers virtually with primary and intermediate school students has reported the successful completion of its second year.
Horticulture NZ chief executive Nadine Tunley will step down in August.