8. SHANE ARDERN (National—Taranaki - King Country) Link to this
to the Minister of Agriculture
What major developments in primary sector innovation has he recently announced?
Hon DAVID CARTER (Minister of Agriculture) Link to this
Last week I announced a further round of successful bids under the Government’s Primary Growth Partnership, which will see $107 million invested in the aquaculture, wild fish, and timber industries. In less than 17 months, the Primary Growth Partnership has delivered close to half a billion dollars of investment in the primary sector. When it comes to boosting economic growth through innovation, this Government is taking real action.
The latest round of successful bids includes a $52 million project aimed at transforming New Zealand’s aquaculture industry through selective breeding, a $51 million programme to develop improved wild fish harvesting technology, and a $2.5 million project to explore alternatives to methyl bromide. These projects collectively demonstrate the wide scope of innovation that is being funded by the Primary Growth Partnership.
This Government is absolutely committed to improving export performance and primary sector productivity through science and innovation. The $475 million invested by the Primary Growth Partnership so far demonstrates our firm focus on lifting economic growth and getting our tradable sector back on track after a decade of neglect by the previous administration.