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Major New Zealand fresh produce grower is tapping AI to manage weeds on one of its farms.
193 of the roles set to be axed are currently vacant.
In March, it was announced that MPI intended to disestablish approximately 384 roles. That number has now risen to 391, approximately 10% of the Ministry’s workforce.
Fleur Fitzsimons, assistant secretary for the Public Service Association (PSA), the union for public servants, says that the staff reduction “can only weaken the vital work the Ministry does across the country in protecting and promoting New Zealand’s primary industry”.
“MPI is our first line of defence against threats to the industry which underpins our prosperity so it’s baffling that the Government has forced this vital agency to slash spending by 7.5% to fund tax cuts,” Fitzsimons says.
“While MPI maintains no frontline roles are impacted, the PSA is concerned that such a large reduction in the workforce will impact the ability of frontline biosecurity officers, fisheries officers, vets and others to do their job.”
“This is a complex Ministry with many moving parts,” Fitzsimons says. “These changes will only increase the workloads of remaining staff, and will see the loss of experienced, specialist staff who have been at the Ministry for many years.”
She says primary producers should question whether MPI can still be effective and be there to support them when they need it most.
“It’s just more reckless short-term thinking from the Government that runs the risks of long-term problems for the economy and for the thousands of New Zealanders whose livelihoods depend on the industry, on the farm, in processing and in supplying our producers,” Fitzsimons concludes.
