Meat Board Restructuring Bill referred to select committee

Meat Board Restructuring Bill gets first reading

The bill to restructure the Meat Board and form Meat and Wool New Zealand has been given its first reading, Agriculture Minister Jim Sutton said today.

Mr Sutton said the Meat Board had asked that it be restructured, and its industry-good activities merged with those of SheepCo, as agreed to by farmers in a referendum last year.

The proposed changes would mean that the quota management functions and management of industry reserves would be retained in a residual board with statutory powers. The Meat Board's industry-good functions would be undertaken by a new company, Meat and Wool New Zealand, funded under the Commodity Levies Act.

Mr Sutton said the bill had been referred to the Primary Production Select Committee, and submissions from the public would be called for shortly.

"It is hoped that the bill will be enacted by 1 July this year."

Mr Sutton said the Meat Board restructuring proposal fulfilled the Government's criteria: it was supported by a majority of growers, as shown by the referendum; it was fair to minority interests; and it was in the national interest.

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