Goudie Sandra: Dairy Industry Restructuring (Raw Milk Pricing Methods) Bill — First Reading 
Goudie Sandra: Dairy Industry Restructuring (Raw Milk Pricing Methods) Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:658;Page:7590] 
SANDRA GOUDIE (National—Coromandel) 
: 
 I am delighted to speak to the Dairy Industry Restructuring (Raw Milk Pricing Methods) Bill. Agriculture is the life blood of this country and should never be forgotten. Whenever agriculture takes a setback the effect is felt right throughout the rest of New Zealand over a period of time. The cities feel the very negative effect of the setbacks that happen in agriculture. I do not think people in our cities understand enough the importance of agriculture to our economy. 
In agriculture dairy has its rightful place. Fonterra is an outstanding example of an industry that has taken itself to the international stage and has been one of the leading performers. The dairy farmers of Fonterra work pretty hard. It is a hard life but it is a good life. They are prepared to do the hard yards and if people understood what they actually did on the farm they would probably have a much greater appreciation of the time and effort that goes into our milk industry. Why should the dairy farmers of Fonterra put all that effort in just for the results of that hard work to go into somebody else’s pocket? It is great to see the Dairy Industry Restructuring (Raw Milk Pricing Methods) Bill going through this process to make sure it is much fairer and more equitable for the farmers who are doing the hard graft to produce that milk and that they can do so with the least interference. There should be as minimal interference as possible in the industry while also making sure that it is fair and equitable. 
It came to my attention that Mr Anderton did not consider the arrangements that were in place as a subsidy. That clearly shows that he does not fully understand the issues. On the flip side the Greens considered that it was a subsidy and liked it because it was. That is typical of the Greens. They want what others have got or they expect others to pay for what they want. That is the typical Greens scenario. I also point out that Fonterra supplies organic milk. In actual fact Fonterra is the biggest supplier of organic milk. So instead of bagging it all the time maybe it is about time the Greens gave it some bouquets and told it what a great job it is doing in terms of organic milk. Fonterra is actually calling for more suppliers of organic milk. However it is up to farmers to choose whether they want to take up the opportunity to provide organic milk or continue with the standard milk supply. Over time the market demand might change which might change the minds of farmers. It is quite clear that in the United States the market demand for organics is on the increase. There are ever-growing market opportunities for organic products. 
One of the continuing problems for the agricultural sector is the on-farm costs. They are the costs that keep building year on year. The worst of those on-farm costs is rates—council rates. Everybody thinks they can clip the ticket whenever a farmer purchases something or has to pay for something. Everybody has the till out and they are clipping the ticket for as much as they can get out of the farming sector. At some point that has to change. 
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: Sorry to interrupt the member. The noise level is too loud. I am having difficulty hearing the member. 
SANDRA GOUDIE 
: At least in the Dairy Industry Restructuring (Raw Milk Pricing Methods) Bill we are getting somewhere and stepping in the right direction. I am delighted that National is taking this initiative.