Celebrating success
The Director General of MPI, Ray Smith says it's important for his department to celebrate the success of a whole range of groups and people around the country.
Twelve new frontline border staff will help New Zealand's biosecurity defences stay strong, says MPI.
The new staff will receive their quarantine inspector warrants at a ceremony today in Christchurch.
The graduation follows the warranting of 43 new inspectors in December and a recent announcement by Minister for Primary Industries Nathan Guy that MPI will recruit 30 new quarantine inspectors this year.
"The new inspectors and upcoming recruitment programme will ensure that the biosecurity frontline remains fully staffed and isn't affected by normal resignations and retirement," says Steve Gilbert, MPI director, border clearance services.
"Biosecurity is vitally important to New Zealand and its primary industries."
The warranting ceremony follows more than three months of intensive training for the new recruits. The warrants will allow them to exercise a range of powers under the Biosecurity Act 1993 to check passengers and goods for biosecurity risk items.
Two of the new inspectors will be based in Wellington, one in Queenstown and remainder in Christchurch. Two of the 12 will undergo further training as detector dog handlers.
The country’s 4200 commercial fruit and vegetable growers will vote from May 14 on a new HortNZ levy.
Meat processor Alliance Group is asking farmer shareholders to inject more capital in order to remain a 100% co-operative.
A vet is calling for all animals to be vaccinated against a new strain of leptospirosis (lepto) discovered on New Zealand dairy farms in recent years.
Dairy
Rural banker Rabobank is partnering with Food Rescue Kitchen on a new TV series which airs this weekend that aims to shine a light on the real and growing issues of food waste, food poverty and social isolation in New Zealand.
Telco infrastructure provider Chorus says that it believes all Kiwis – particularly those in the rural areas – need access to high-speed, reliable broadband.
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