Nathan Guy: Review of Primary Growth Partnership timed to slip under radar

National's Nathan Guy says the PGP review is a smokescreen to raid funding from the primary sector.

A review of the Primary Growth Partnership (PGP) over the summer break illustrates the coalition Government's priorities do not lie with growing the primary sector, according to National Party primary industries spokesman Nathan Guy.

"Stakeholders have been given an impossibly small window of opportunity to provide feedback on the Government's mindless proposals — it looks like the January 14 deadline has been set to ensure as little feedback as possible," Mr Guy said.

"This all comes on the back of raiding $17 million from the PGP to fund an unnecessary rebranding of the Ministry for Primary Industries.

"This review is blatantly timed to slip under the radar and is a smokescreen for the Government to raid research and development funding from the primary sector."

Mr Guy says projects funded by the PGP include the Red Meat Profit Partnership which has six different meat entities working together to add value in the meat sector, as well as the Lifestyle Wines programme which has 11 wineries collaborating to produce wine with lower calories and alcohol.

Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor was not available when his press secretary, Kelly Spring, was asked for ministerial comment on the review.

An MPI spokesperson said some initial feedback had been sought from the programmes by January 14, but the programmes were being invited to provide input and ideas through the course of the review.

While the review was taking place, Mr O'Connor had agreed to progress approved proposals for nine PGP programmes under existing criteria, but temporarily not accept new proposals, the spokesperson said.

Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor is not accepting new proposals.

The MPI website says the ministry does not expect any current PGP programmes to be affected by the review.

The PGP invests in long-term innovation programmes in partnership with industry to increase the market success of the primary industries.

Total government funding paid to programmes under way was $244.26m at the end of August last year. Around $759m of government and industry funding has been committed to 22 PGP programmes so far over their lifetime.

The review follows a report by NZ Institute of Economic Research showing the PGP could add up to $6.4 billion to New Zealand's GDP from 2025, with the possibility of a further $4.7 billion if the aspirational stretch of programmes was realised, innovations were taken up widely and all the research and development was successful.