Horticulture New Zealand backs pause on freshwater farm plan rollout

Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) supports the Government’s decision to pause the freshwater farm plan rollout.

“We agree with the Government that we need a fit-for-purpose system for freshwater farm plans that works for horticulture and delivers on environmental outcomes,” says Michelle Sands, acting chief executive of HortNZ.

“We believe that the optimal approach to making progress on regulatory issues is to establish a pathway to enable growers to use industry assurance programmes like New Zealand Good Agricultural Practice (NZGAP) and GLOBALG.A.P. to meet market and regulatory requirements via one integrated farm plan.

“We are encouraged to hear that the government is wanting to integrate existing industry assurance programmes into the Freshwater Farm Plan System. We want to see recognition of programmes like the NZGAP Environment Management System, which is trusted, robust and meets the desired policy outcomes.

“It would fit with the Government’s goals and enable growers to find the right solutions for their farms and catchments.”

HortNZ is also calling for commercial vegetable production (CVP) to become a permitted activity for growers with a Freshwater Farm Plan (FWFP).

“Over 80 per cent of NZ-grown vegetables are grown for the domestic market,” says Sands.

“New Zealand’s growers are committed to operating to good management practices and the industry is committed to supporting them.

“That includes through product group research like the Sustainable Vegetable Systems programme and the HortNZ/Ministry for the Environment Growing Change project, which is supporting growers to develop their FWFP through a catchment-led approach. We encourage growers to maintain their ongoing efforts in environmental management via GAP and the EMS, supported by Growing Change, and to continue their sustainability journey despite the policy uncertainty.

“HortNZ wants a nationally consistent approach to planning rules to provide certainty for commercial vegetable production in New Zealand,” says Sands.

Regional Councils have been unable to develop workable rules for vegetable production. Some regions constrain crop rotation, constrain nutrient supply to a level which reduces the amount of vegetables that can be produced and constrain expansion so growers cannot grow more vegetables to feed our growing population.

“Regional councils are not well-placed to balance national benefit with local effects. The risk is regions make unworkable rules for commercial vegetable production, without taking into account the national importance of vegetable production in securing a resilient supply of healthy fresh food for New Zealanders.