Wednesday, 16 June 2021 09:58

Govt backs food, fibres sectors

Written by  Staff Reporters
Forestry Minister Stuart Nash. Forestry Minister Stuart Nash.

The Government will back the food and fibres sector to lead New Zealand’s economic recovery from Covid-19 with targeted investments, Forestry Minister Stuart Nash says.

The targeted investments will be part of the Government’s Fit for a Better World roadmap.

Two reports released today at the Fieldays – the Fit for a Better World Progress Update 2021 and the Sustainable Food and Fibres Snapshot – provide an update on the work the Government is doing in partnership with industry.

“Since we launched the roadmap, we’ve co-invested alongside industry in projects worth tens of millions of dollars,” Nash says.

Nash says the Fit for a Better World roadmap has focused on identifying creative and new ideas for lifting returns and improving sustainability.

“Last year, we up-scaled the Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures (SFF Futrues) fund to further boost innovation efforts.”

He says SFF Futures has committed more than $111 million in funding to new projects, worth almost $250 million.

“This emphasises the importance the sector places on innovation, which is vital to the delivery of the roadmap.”

Nash reminded the audience that in the 2021 Budget, the Government committed $62 million to back initiatives to help reduce costs for farmers and growers, boost returns, and achieve lower on-farm emissions.

“Partnerships like He Waka Eke Noa, our Primary Sector Climate Action Partnership, are also working with farmers and growers on practical solutions to reduce emissions and build resilience to climate change.

“All of this work has a common goal of strengthening the environmental credentials of our food and fibre products and driving further value growth.”

He says the Government is committed to working with sector partners to drive New Zealand’s economic recovery and ongoing prosperity.

More like this

Unhelpful politics

Wairoa Mayor Craig Little says the succession of Recovery Ministers who have resigned or left has not made his life easy.

Nash and slash

OPINION: Stuart Nash, stripped of his portfolios for big-noting to donors, among other things, will be kept on life support by the PM to avoid a by-election, and, according to one commentator, so he can take the fall when an inquiry on forestry slash goes public.

Forestry, slash and farming!

OPINION: Forestry Minister Stuart Nash recently chose Wairoa, one of the epicentres of conversion of farms to forests, to justify current policy and explain why an inquiry into forestry slash was not needed.

Wairoa uprising over farm emission plans

The battle lines are being drawn between the small, isolated northern Hawke's Bay farming town of Wairoa, pop. 8000, against the big guns of Jacinda Ardern and what they see as her anti-farming government and its plans to unfairly tax agricultural emissions. Peter Burke reports...

Featured

Keep warm, boost weight

The missing link in getting maximum weight gain in your calves may be as simple as keeping them warm, says the Christchurch manufacturer of a range of woollen covers for young livestock.

Colostrum expert turns 40

Auckland-based supplement and nutritional company New Image International is celebrating 40 years of business in their home country.

National

Draft emissions plan a mixed bag

Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) says documents released as part of the Government’s second emissions reduction plan consultation contain…

Feral cattle wreak havoc

According to John Roche, MPI, the saviour for Chatham Island farmers this season has been the weather.

Machinery & Products

More efficient jumbo wagons

In a move that will be welcomed by many, Austrian manufacturer Pottinger appears to be following a trend of bringing…

Fieldays' top young innovator

Growing up on a South Waikato sheep and beef farm, Penny Ranger has firsthand experience on the day-to-day challenges.

Claas completes 500,000th machine

Claas is celebrating half a million combine harvesters built since 1936, marking the occasion by building anniversary machines from the…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Objection!

OPINION: In 2021 a group of prominent academics got ’cancelled’ for daring to oppose changes to the school curriculum that…

Under pressure

OPINION: On top of the rural banking inquiry, several as-yet-unnamed banks are facing a complaint to the Financial Markets Authority…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter