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NZPPI congratulates new Ministers
NZPPI congratulates new Ministers in the Labour-led coalition Government, in particular Damien O’Connor as our new Minister for Agriculture, Biosecurity and Rural Communities, and Shane Jones as the new Minister of Forestry. These Ministerial portfolios are particularly important to plant producers as they cover many of the key sectors we supply, and key issues such as biosecurity and access to land and water.
Plant production is essential to New Zealand. The nursery industry, contributes some $500 million to New Zealand’s economy annually. Yet this figure is only a small indication of the vital importance of the industry to New Zealand’s financial and social wellbeing. For instance, the horticulture industry contributes approximately $3.9 billion in export value and an additional $1.1 billion in domestic value. Yet the plants that support these industries started their journey as young plants in a nursery. Trees and plants play a vital role in the ‘clean green’ New Zealand image, and in the health and well-being of the population.
The new Government’s audacious goal to plant a billion trees will rely upon scaling up and diversifying supply of young tree seedlings, and NZPPI will work closely with the re-established NZ Forest Service to ensure that the vital role of plant producers is understood and respected, and we are involved and engaged in such initiatives.
NZPPI looks forward to working with the incoming Government on this and many other important issues and initiatives, across areas such as access to a skilled workforce, science and innovation, biosecurity and sustainable resource management. We’ll be making sure the needs and contribution plant producers make to our national and regional economies, communities and the environment is fully understood, and that we are actively involved in the key areas to further grow this contribution to New Zealand.
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