Biosecurity tops priorities for agribusiness leaders - report
Biosecurity remains the top priority for agribusiness leaders, according to KPMG’s 2025 Agribusiness Agenda released last week.
Horticulture farmers are delighted with the plan to have visitors to New Zealand paying a share of the costs associated with protecting our nation's borders.
In this week's budget, the Government announced a new border clearance levy will help the Government to protect New Zealand from imported pests, diseases, illegal drugs and contraband and bring us in line with border approaches by other countries.
The levy is expected to take effect from 1 January 2016, and will be around $16 for arriving passengers and around $6 for departing passengers – although the exact amounts will be subject to public consultation.
HortNZ president Julian Raine says the border clearance levy sends a signal to everyone coming here that we don't take biosecurity lightly.
"This announcement backs up what New Zealand's commercial fruit and vegetable growers have been saying for a long time. Passengers need to take some of the responsibility for protecting our primary industries and our native species.
"Every passenger entering this country presents a risk that we must have systems in place to process and check. New Zealand taxpayers should not be covering this cost."
HortNZ will contribute to the public consultation around the setting of the final figure.
"We will be pushing for a rate that appropriately reflects the true cost of the long term sustainable border protection that we need," says Raine.
"The good thing about this levy is that as the number of visitors increases, so will the revenue it generates, to cover the increased cost of processing passengers and the risk they represent," Julian says.
HortNZ notes the suggested $16 levy figure is still a long way off the $58 charged by Australia, a country with similar biosecurity requirements to our own.
HortNZ congratulates the Government for tackling an unpopular issue in a country so focused on developing tourism.
"But the truth is, protecting our agriculture, horticulture and viticulture industries, our home gardeners and our unique flora and fauna, must be our first consideration."
HortNZ also welcomes the additional $24.9 million to be spent on enhancing our biosecurity border protection.
Newly elected Federated Farmers meat and wool group chair Richard Dawkins says he will continue the great work done his predecessor Toby Williams.
Hosted by ginger dynamo Te Radar, the Fieldays Innovation Award Winners Event put the spotlight on the agricultural industry's most promising ideas.
According to DairyNZ's latest Econ Tracker update, there has been a rise in the forecast breakeven milk price for the 2025/26 season.
Despite the rain and a liberal coating of mud, engines roared, and the 50th Fieldays Tractor Pull Competition drew crowds of spectators across the four days of the annual event.
Nationwide rural wellbeing programme, Farmstrong recently celebrated its tenth birthday at Fieldays with an event attended by ambassador Sam Whitelock, Farmers Mutual Group (FMG), Farmstrong partners, and government Ministers.
Six industry organisations, including DairyNZ and the Dairy Companies Association (DCANZ) have signed an agreement with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to prepare the country for a potential foot and mouth outbreak.
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