Chris Lewis: Why we won't bow to blackmail

Security systems in New Zealand's milk product processing plants are among the best anywhere. Photo / John Stone

The morning after the 1080 threat was announced I was talking with my immigrant staff who came to New Zealand because of the great reputation we have as a high-quality milk producer. They were primarily concerned about how this would hurt us internationally and the reaction back home in the Philippines.

Reading the headlines we all jumped to the same concern: how will the overseas media and consumers react?

I found some comfort in watching John Key and Jo Goodhew front the media that night, knowing the issue was being taken very seriously, and that there will be no stone left unturned in ensuring our food quality and reputation will stay at 100 per cent.

Our security systems in our milk product processing plants are world class. Something you can't fully comprehend until you visit a dairy processor. You have no idea of the food safety checks that go on. They are audited down to the smallest detail. It would not be unusual for a facility to have 50 different audit teams or visits during an average year.

After hearing that there were over 40,000 samples tested after hearing of the threat, you can rest assured our milk powder is one of the safest foods you can eat in the world at this time.

As a farmer who produces the product, I want to remind all farmers that our job is to produce the highest quality food " not to worry about idiotic bullies taking their frustrations out on the public. The police and Government are doing a great job so far, and I hope they catch the "eco terrorist" so we can get back to worrying about the drought and low dairy prices. Just worry about putting milk in the vat and let the authorities handle this.

MPI have used the past few months to get the most sophisticated testing equipment installed and operating for detecting 1080 contamination. These tests can now work on an industrial scale of a thousand tests a day with not a single positive result.

And while those people who are threatening to harm our milk products have shown they can get their hands on 1080, they have a much more difficult job if they try to sabotage our infant formula and milk powder exports with the stuff. They are more likely to have got some anonymous 5 minutes in the spotlight than anything.

We must not give in to blackmail. There are ways and means of legitimately expressing dissent in our society. Blackmailers who have decided that they have the right to kill children in opposition to the use of this pesticide are well outside a legitimate expression of their opposition.

What can farmers do right now? It is very important that everyone checks that their chemicals and poisons are locked away and aren't visible to any visitors. Anyone who may have any suspicions about who these people might be, please contact the police.

One positive out of all this is that it has united the country against a villain. I probably won't thank him or her for that, but it's satisfying to know that is not what he or she wanted.

-Chris Lewis is Federated Farmers Waikato provincial president