Reducing costs for Kiwi farmers
New Zealand’s farmers and growers play a key role in our economy and in our communities. Labour has set out a clear vision to transition to a carbon-neutral economy and today we committed to supporting our farmers and growers to achieve this goal.
Today, Jacinda Ardern and Damien O’Connor outlined Labour’s plan to reduce costs for farmers and growers, and make compliance less time-consuming, by creating a single planning framework.
Running a farm or a growing operation is complex, with regulations and plans required for environmental management, biosecurity, animal welfare, and health and safety. We want to make that as easy to manage as possible.
It can cost a farmer or grower between $5,000 and $10,000 on average for each property to develop a farm plan, and there are a wide range of reporting, auditing and consents required.
If re-elected, Labour will commit an initial $50 million to support integrated farm planning, making it easier and cheaper for farmers and growers to get on with the job.
Over time, integrated farm planning will help farmers and growers capture all of their compliance requirements in one place. Labour will also create a cost sharing agreement with industry, which will ensure every farmer and grower pays less for their compliance.
Together, these changes will mean fewer barriers and less cost for our farmers and growers. They will help us share our sustainability story to the world, allowing our farmers and growers to add value to their products, and provide an opportunity for them to boost their economic returns.
Kiwi farmers are creative and innovative, and are working hard to help us transition to a cleaner, greener future. They’ll be vital in our economic recovery from COVID-19 - and this is just one way Labour is committed to supporting them.
You can read more about Labour’s plan for farmers and growers here.
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