MPI cuts 391 jobs
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has informed staff it will cut 391 jobs following a consultation period.
MPI's HANDLING of information over the food bug reinforces concerns about resourcing at the Ministry and adds fuel to Labour's repeated calls for an independent food safety agency, says Labour's Food Safety spokesman Damien O'Connor.
The Ministry for Primary Industries' release of Environmental Science and Research's initial reports regarding the sources of a nasty stomach bug will be little comfort to the 127 people affected by it, O'Connor says.
"This information should have been released as soon as ESR had carried out the initial investigation," he says.
"When it comes to food safety, MPI surely knows it is always better to be safe rather than sorry, yet it has been anything but helpful to consumers since the outbreak was confirmed last month, leaving it up to a concerned medical specialist to warn the public about potential sources.
"The Ministry has dragged the chain on this investigation and possibly put consumers at risk by not releasing the information from ESR when it first received it.
"Given the investigation is ongoing, it is now up to MPI to relay any further material it receives from ESR to consumers so they can make informed decisions about their food purchasing choices.
"The public should also be told exactly how long MPI expects it will take to come up with some definitive answers about the source of the bug."
South Waikato farm manager Ben Purua’s amazing transformation from gang life to milking cows was rewarded with the Ahuwhenua Young Maori Farmer award last night.
Bankers have been making record profits in the last few years, but those aren’t the only records they’ve been breaking, says Federated Farmers vice president Richard McIntyre.
The 2023-24 season has been a roller coaster ride for Waikato dairy farmers, according to Federated Farmers dairy section chair, Mathew Zonderop.
Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) director general Ray Smith says job cuts announced this morning will not impact the way the Ministry is organised or merge business units.
Scales Corporation is acquiring a number of orchard assets from Bostock Group.
Family and solidarity shone through at the 75 years of Ferdon sale in Otorohanga last month.
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