Anderton Jim: Meat Board Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
Anderton Jim: Meat Board Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
[Volume:633;Page:4878] 
Hon JIM ANDERTON (Minister of Agriculture) 
: 
 I move  
That the Meat Board Amendment Bill be now read a third time 
. This bill was introduced into the House on 22 March. It had its first reading on 30 March and was referred to the Primary Production Committee on that day. The select committee reported the bill back to the House on 25 July. The bill has now had its second reading and has passed through the Committee stage. 
The bill clarifies one of the provisions within the Meat Board Act of 2004 regarding the allocation of access to meat export quota markets. It clarifies that a mechanism established by the New Zealand Meat Board for the allocation of rights to quota markets may allocate access to quota to any person who is a registered meat exporter whether or not that person currently exports meat products. The bill therefore upholds the original objectives of the Meat Board Act 2004. It will remove any perceived ambiguity in the original drafting of the legislative framework. Making quota available to all registered meat exporters whether or not they actually export meat products ensures that the financial benefits associated with access to quota markets will continue to be available to the wider meat industry in New Zealand—and many members will understand the implications of that for our export markets and quota systems. 
The definition of “meat industry” in the current Act includes livestock farmers meat processors and meat exporters. The presumption is that processors who are not necessarily exporters at present but who produce export-quality meat products should benefit from the quota markets themselves and exporters who are not processors should also benefit. There was some controversy about this I know. But I also know that the original intention of this House has been validated by this amendment. Specialist exporters who are able to develop niche markets but do not process meat themselves should also be able to benefit from quota. Tradability of quota rights helps to maximise the value of meat quotas. It promotes competition for the supply of livestock—and that assists the on-farm community—and helps ensure that all meat industry participants including processors exporters and livestock farmers can benefit from export quotas. 
The meat industry makes a very significant contribution to the New Zealand economy. By international standards our meat industry is highly productive and efficient. New Zealand’s meat processors employ the most advanced technologies available anywhere in the world and our exporters have developed niche markets in the international community. Our livestock farmers are extraordinarily innovative and through their levies they make significant investments in research product and market development. Put simply the meat industry is a critical part of the New Zealand economy. It has been in the past is currently and will be for as far into the future as we can see. 
It is vital therefore for New Zealand’s economic future that the meat industry continues to perform at a high level and this bill in my view—and I am sure in the view of most members—assists in that process. I thank the members of the Primary Production Committee for their consideration of the bill and for the report that they tabled on 25 July. In doing so I wish the meat industry well and I commend the bill to the House.