KEY POINTS:
The Government is to spend $19 million to boost efforts to help food and beverage firms develop new markets.
Economic Development Minister Trevor Mallard announced the funding today as he set out how the Government intends to help the growth of this country's high-value food and beverage exports.
The announcement was a response to a report last year from the Food and Beverage Taskforce, which the Government set up in late-2004.
The taskforce came up with 59 recommendations for growing the sector by 5 per cent a year.
Its report was based in three key strategic factors: productivity, new products and new markets.
Today, along with the $19 million funding boost, Mr Mallard announced five other projects making up the Government's approach to the taskforce report.
They are:
-- improving infrastructure for new product development to help test and develop innovative food products;
-- increasing the business capability of food and beverage exporters through an audit and mentoring programme;
-- raising productivity and sustainability in pastoral industries;
-- producing a food and beverage research "roadmap" that sets the directions for food innovation research; and
-- implementing the taskforce's Skills Action Plan with oversight and support from a joint government and industry body.
At Villa Maria Winery in Auckland, Mr Mallard said the food and beverage sector was central to this country's economic performance, with half New Zealand's exports food-related and the sector employing one-in-five people.
It was clear there was a strong need for the private sector to think about partnering and collaboration -- working with each other and alongside government agencies and research institutions to help drive export growth, he said.
The initiatives announced today were aimed at lifting exports and helping the growth of more firms that were export-capable and internationally competitive.
Today's package was on top of budget and other recent initiatives to help the sector, including research and development tax credit and other business tax changes.
- NZPA
