Editorial: Support, don't stifle farmers
OPINION: Ministry for Primary Industries' situation outlook for primary industries report (SOPI) makes impressive reading.
New regulations to support compliance with the National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) scheme and protect the privacy of NAIT stakeholders came into effect yesterday (January 10).
The new regulations, which were developed after a public consultation, set out a range of infringements that relate to stakeholders not complying with requirements under the scheme.
Twelve of these carry a $150 fee and an additional infringement, for those who do not register with the scheme, carries a $300 fee.
The new regulations also establish a panel to consider applications for access to the NAIT information system. The panel will provide an objective and transparent process to assess applications for data and decide them on their merits. The highest infringement fee, of $1000, is reserved for people who do not comply with conditions set by the panel on access to, or release of, NAIT information.
Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) director - preparedness and partnerships, David Hayes, says the infringements are just one of a number of ways to help compliance.
"The focus of the scheme is on education, assistance and direction. That approach will work with the vast majority of people. Infringements give us another way to enhance compliance," Hayes says.
He says the scheme also has "built-in incentives" for industry because it provides direct and indirect benefit to farmers.
"The already high levels of compliance with the scheme boosts MPI's ability to respond quickly to disease outbreaks and underpins the official assurances that New Zealand gives to its international trade partners."
The new regulations join a suite of other regulations passed to date which provide the detail on how to meet requirements of the NAIT Act. They cover obligations and exemptions, levy types and various fees and forms.
The new regulations setting out infringements are here:
http://tinyurl.com/cnf8ek7
The new regulations establishing the panel are here.
http://tinyurl.com/bvn5yfd
NZPork has appointed Auckland-based Paul Bucknell as its new chair.
The Government claims to have delivered on its election promise to protect productive farmland from emissions trading scheme (ETS) but red meat farmers aren’t happy.
Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks could have a detrimental impact on any country's rural sector, as seen in the United Kingdom's 2000 outbreak that saw the compulsory slaughter of over six million animals.
The Ministry for the Environment is joining as a national award sponsor in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA from next year).
Kiwis are wasting less of their food than they were two years ago, and this has been enough to push New Zealand’s total household food waste bill lower, the 2025 Rabobank KiwiHarvest Food Waste survey has found.
OPINION: Sir Lockwood Smith has clearly and succinctly defined what academic freedom is all about, the boundaries around it and the responsibility that goes with this privilege.
OPINION: Should cows in NZ be microchipped?
OPINION: Legislation being drafted to bring back the controversial trade of live animal exports by sea is getting stuck in the…