5 minute read

5 minutes with Damien O'Connor

Minister of Agriculture

Congratulations on retaining your portfolio following the 2020 election. What has been on your summer priority list?

What a year 2020 was! After COVID-19 turned our world upside down and we then fought an election campaign, I had a much-needed break over summer, spending time at home doing the usual stock and maintenance jobs on our 8 hectares of land. I also rode my motorbike through the South Island from the West Coast-Tasman region where I live and am the proud local MP and got to spend a bit of time with four of my five daughters. The fifth lives in London so unfortunately, I won’t get to see her for a while. Being a Minister means work is never far away. Taking on the additional responsibility of the Trade portfolio after last year’s election meant I did a bit of reading over summer to get ready to host this year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting. New Zealand also began a third round of negotiations on a free trade agreement with the UK in late January and is close to completing one with the EU. I had to hit the ground running this year! Parliament resumes this month, so it’s straight back into it.

In the face of COVID-19, what stories do the NZ food and fibre industry want to be telling the world about our produce?

We have some of the best farmers in the world and I know we can be the best farmers for the world. New Zealand produce already had a global reputation for being ethically produced and of premium quality and now our success fighting COVID-19 has really put us on the map as a safe country and this is invaluable for our food and fibre industry. A New Zealand Trade and Enterprise campaign called Made with Care is telling the world how our progressive country and innovative people are producing some of the best foods in the world in a way that’s good for them as consumers and good for the planet.

We have some of the best farmers in the world and I know we can be the best farmers for the world. New Zealand produce already had a global reputation for being ethically produced and of premium quality.”

Export recovery is one of the five planks of our Government’s economic recovery. Last November, the Prime Minister announced that officials were starting to look at how we can boost our exports. She also confirmed that once borders open, she will lead business delegations to our key trading partners, including the US, China, the UK and the EU. Last year the Government invested $200 million in supporting exporters to take full advantage of our country’s reputation, so they could continue doing business despite international travel restrictions. Telling our story of how we successfully managed COVID to date will also help to attract international investment into our productive sectors and help the economic recovery.

With a lack of foreign workers available in the coming seasons, what will be changing to support local farmers and growers in 2021?

The Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) has been helping the horticulture, agriculture and forestry sectors grow their local workforces through its Opportunity Grows Here campaign. The Farmlander readers might have seen news reports of former airline, tourism and hospitality workers retraining in Central Otago and enjoying their new lives behind the wheel of a tractor or picking fruit. They are just some of the people who are discovering that primary industries can offer

them a new career, help feed the world and build a sustainable future for New Zealand. They’re finding that it’s a rewarding sector to work in on so many levels. MPI also worked with Student Job Search to help match students to seasonal horticulture work and ran roadshows late last year in four regions to help build our forestry workforce.

Farm systems are heavily scrutinised by the media and general public, what can be done to combat this?

Most farmers understand the need for good animal welfare and sound environmental practises within their farm systems. They understand that consumers here and overseas want to know the food they are eating is produced in a way that is kind to animals and gentle on the planet. Farmers also understand they can command top dollar for their premium products if their practises are sustainable. I often say our primary industry exports are moving from volume to value, to values, because consumers now make decisions about the goods they buy based on their values. It's not about combatting scrutiny; it’s about supporting those farmers who still have changes to make and making those changes as easy as possible. That’s not only good for the farmer’s bottom line, it’s good for New Zealand and good for the planet.

Sustainability and the Essential Freshwater Policy are front of mind for farmers. How will the NZ Government collaborate with industry groups and farmers to manage farm environmental plans?

Our Government wants all New Zealanders to enjoy our waterways and we’re working alongside our farmers to improve the health of these ecosystems. That’s why in 2019 we announced the Essential Freshwater package to stop further degradation of our waterways and ecosystems within 5 years and reverse past damage within a generation. We are in the process of making changes to accommodate for regional differences in weather and other factors. Through our $1.3 billion Jobs for Nature package, we are partnering with a range of community and farmer-led catchment management groups around the country to improve water quality, support a range of other environmental benefits and create jobs. By funding catchment projects, we’re supporting farmers to make on-farm changes including riparian planting, fencing of waterways and wetland protection. This work also includes supporting farmers in developing farm environmental plans. Helping farmers develop integrated farm planning systems is a big priority

It’s about supporting those farmers who still have changes to make and making those changes as easy as possible”

for me personally. Through the Integrated Farm Plan Programme, MPI has been working closely with industry bodies, farmers and farm advisors and regional authorities to design this new system. It will help ease costs on farmers and help improve freshwater quality, as well as make other sustainability gains. These plans will not only help those farming now, they will also create sustainable building blocks for future generations of farmers.

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