MPI’s Diana Reaich: Building global trade relationships
Relationships are key to opening new trading opportunities and dealing with some of the rules that countries impose that impede the free flow of trade.
Twenty-four new biosecurity detector dog teams graduated from their training last week — the biggest ever boost to MPI's sniffing force.
The dog teams include dog and handler.
"The new dog teams will give us capacity to screen all arriving international flights for biosecurity risk goods," says Steve Gilbert, MPI border clearance services director.
"They will also ensure we can make greater use of dog teams to greet international cruise ship passengers at regional ports.
"This is the largest number of dog teams to graduate at the same time in the history of MPI or its predecessors – so it is a significant day."
The dog handlers are among 57 frontline biosecurity staff who graduated at the ceremony at the Vodafone Event Centre in Manukau.
The ceremony included a demonstration of MPI's new mobile x-ray machine for scanning hand baggage carried by cruise ship passengers visiting regional ports.
"The new staff, dogs and x-ray equipment are part of a MPI biosecurity ramp-up to cope with increasing passenger numbers and the heightened threat of fruit fly-host material arriving in New Zealand," says Gilbert.
"It's been a big year for us on the biosecurity frontline following the government's decision to increase biosecurity funding in its 2015 budget.
"We have employed nearly 90 new staff and have purchased six new x-ray machines for inspecting baggage, including the mobile equipment.
"There have also been moves to improve our targeting of passengers that pose the highest level of biosecurity risk.
"Although you can never totally eliminate the risk of an unwanted pest or disease entering New Zealand, we feel our border biosecurity defences are in good shape to deal with what is going to be a very busy summer."
According to ASB, Fonterra's plan to sell it's Anchor and Mainlands brands could inject $4.5 billion in additional spending into the economy.
New Zealand’s trade with the European Union has jumped $2 billion since a free trade deal entered into force in May last year.
The climate of uncertainty and market fragmentation that currently characterises the global economy suggests that many of the European agricultural machinery manufacturers will be looking for new markets.
Dignitaries from all walks of life – the governor general, politicians past and present, Maoridom- including the Maori Queen, church leaders, the primary sector and family and friends packed Our Lady of Kapiti’s Catholic church in Paraparaumu on Thursday October 23 to pay tribute to former prime Minister, Jim Bolger who died last week.
Agriculture and Forestry Minister, Todd McClay is encouraging farmers, growers, and foresters not to take unnecessary risks, asking that they heed weather warnings today.
With nearly two million underutilised dairy calves born annually and the beef price outlook strong, New Zealand’s opportunity to build a scalable dairy-beef system is now.

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