RURALROUNDUP

From previous page.

‘‘Covid-19 has caused extraordinary damage to people’s lives, livelihoods and economies across the globe. It will take some time for the world to recover from the impact.

‘‘In this period of adversity, the primary sector has shone. Despite significant drought, feed shortages across the country and the Mycoplasma bovis outbreak, our industry has continued to perform strongly and deliver for New Zealand.

‘‘It’s important that when making any decision about the recovery and the future, the country must ask itself - what is good for exports, employment, productivity and the environment?

‘‘The Government must support practical on-the-ground initiatives by farmers to improve the environment, while ensuring that the environmental policy settings are right.

‘‘A key concern for the sector is the impact of various government policies that incentivise the conversion of sheep and beef farms into forestry, due to the negative impacts on rural communities. The sector wants limits on the ability of fossil fuel polluters to offset their emissions by planting exotic trees on farms.

‘‘We need to better understand and utilise our water resources. This includes water capture, storage and distribution to meet both productive and urban needs.

We do not lack water in New Zealand, we lack the understanding and infrastructure to use it in a way that meets our economic, social, cultural and environmental requirements. It can be done.

‘‘Improved rural connectivity and continued co-investment in initiatives and research aimed at value adding and lifting the productivity and profitability of the sector is also crucial.

‘‘Despite the current uncertainties created by Covid-19, it is an exciting time for the red meat sector with the global population expecting to grow by two billion by 2050 and protein demand forecast to double by 2050.

‘‘Globally, consumers seek out our products, thanks to the work famers have done to establish free range, grass-fed, natural farming systems, and it is our time to lead New Zealand’s economic recovery.’’

Research highlights

The SG Heilbron study found the red meat sector is responsible for almost 5 per cent of New Zealand’s full-time workforce with approximately 35,700 people employed directly and more than 56,700 full-time jobs underpinned by the sector as the result of flowon impacts.

The magnitude of the red meat sector’s contribution is even more pronounced at a regional level with its impact reaching almost 12 per cent of value-added, and in some cases, such as in Otago/ Southland, over 12 per cent of fulltime employment.

In the Otago/Southland region, the sector employs 7700 full-time people with more than 10,000 fulltime jobs underpinned by the industry. It also contributes 11.5 per cent of household income in the region.

In Taranaki/Manawatu and Whanganui, the sector supports almost 10 per cent of full-time employment in the region with 5200 directly and underpinning more than 8300 full-time equivalent jobs.

It also contributes almost nine percent of household income in the region ($650 million or $4770 per household). Almost two thirds of household income impacts in the region is derived from the flow-on effects.

Meanwhile, the production of livestock contributes 2.2 per cent of full-time equivalent employment in New Zealand. The meat processing and exporting sector contributes approximately 4.4 per cent of full-time equivalent employment and 3.9 per cent of value-added when flow on effects are taken into account.

❚ For more information, contact B +LNZ’s Katie Jans on katie. jans@beeflambnz.com or 027 838 6353, or Sam Halstead on sam@latitudesc.co.nz or 027 474 6065.