NZ-China food safety agreement signed

Food Safety Minister Nikki Kaye welcomed a food safety agreement signed today between New Zealand and China to strengthen cooperation in food safety and food quality.

The Food Safety Cooperation Arrangement between the Ministry for Primary Industries(MPI) and the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) was signed today in Wellington by the Chinese Vice Minister, Liu Peizhi and MPI Deputy Director General Carol Barnao.

“This is an important agreement that will be beneficial to both countries,” Ms Kaye says. “It will encourage cooperation and the sharing of knowledge in the fields of food safety, risk management, food standards and regulations.

“The agreement shows commitment and a willingness between New Zealand and China to work together on food safety programmes.

“It will allow MPI and the CFDA to work together to enhance food safety, continually improve our regulatory regimes and enhance the bilateral relationship.”

The agreement will see a Joint Food Safety Commission (JFSC) established to enhance food safety regulatory cooperation.

“The JFSC will allow MPI and the CFDA to meet on an annual basis to help build a better understanding of how our respective food safety systems work. We can identify areas of shared interest and potential new areas of cooperation,” Ms Kaye says.  

“The agreement also allows us to formalise our joint interests and is an important step in the evolution of China and New Zealand cooperation in food safety. 

“It will further build on the strong relationship that our two countries share, particularly in the agricultural and food sectors.”

This should be good for exporters and consumers.

Food safety is very important in #gigatownoamaru.

Rural round-up

ECann Rakaia River recommendation accepted:

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee says the Government has accepted Environment Canterbury’s recommendation to change the water conservation order that covers the Rakaia River.

The change will allow TrustPower to release water from Lake Coleridge for irrigation when the river is low, increasing the reliability of the water supply.

“Environment Canterbury’s report and recommendation is a good example of both environmental considerations and the needs of the farming community being taken into account,” Mr Brownlee says. . .

Why wash clean linen in public – Alan Emerson:

Farming is certainly in the mainstream media. 

Most outlets are covering the DCD saga and they weren’t helped by some woolly statements from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and Fonterra.

I thought the two fertiliser co-operatives, Ballance and Ravensdown, handled the issue well, with their media releases being factual and unemotive. Both withdrew their DCD product and that, in my opinion, should have been the end of the story.

The issue is simple – DCD is safe. It has been around since the 1920s and used in its current form since 1981 and that is the problem.

Because it isn’t a new product but an adaption of an existing chemical, it is not classified under the international Codex Alimentarium. For that reason there is no minimum or maximum allowable level.

The problem is technical and procedural – it is not a chemical or health issue. Googling DCD you can identify all the many countries using it. You can also read glowing references about the product’s ability to increase yields in tomatoes, wheat, barley, rice and grass. . .

Lessons learned on managing perception – Alan Williams:

THE DCD issue has thrown up some lessons on how to manage market perceptions when the debate gets away from the science, Ministry for Primary Industries deputy director general (Standards) Carol Barnao says.

MPI’s risk assessment team discovered quickly there were no food safety concerns from traces of DCD found in whole milk powder, but the time taken for action was seen by some people as too slow and the presence of an unexpected compound was linked with tainted food in some markets.

More than three months passed between Fonterra’s product testing and the withdrawal from the market of the fertilisers containing DCD.

If there had been food safety concerns action would have happened much sooner, Barnao said.

Working groups were set up as soon as MPI was alerted in early November but it took time to complete the testing methodology and the why, when, and how of what happened, she said. . .

Happy to break new ground – Hannah Lynch:

Primary industries might be getting a new minister, but it’s in the associate role where a woman will be getting to make a mark for the first time. Hannah Lynch reports from Parliament.

The first woman appointed to a ministerial role in agriculture is not afraid of bringing a touch of femininity to the job, revealing she wears high-heeled boots on the family farm. 

Jo Goodhew has just been made Associate Primary Industries Minister in a Cabinet reshuffle that elevated the previous associate, Nathan Guy, into the main role.

“It is exciting but it is part of the general trend we are seeing where women who have the right skills are doing anything,” Goodhew said. 

“Women are going into roles that were previously held by men but now it’s just recognition that if you have got the skills it doesn’t matter what gender you are.”  . . .

MyFarm expanding to sheep and beef farms – Hugh Stringleman:

MyFarm intends to use its farm ownership syndication model for sheep and beef farms as well as dairy farms.

It put together one sheep and beef farm syndicate in 2010, for Kaiangaroa farm east of Taihape, and during this year will offer several more.

MyFarm director Andrew Watters would not specify the locations but gave parameters for the suitable properties and regions.

They would be mainly sheep-breeding and lamb-finishing properties, with beef cattle only additional. . .

Farmers Preparing to Steak Their Claim :

Farmers across the country are selecting their entries for the 2013 Beef + Lamb New Zealand Steak of Origin.

The competition to find the country’s most tender and tasty steak is entering its 11th year and is keenly contested nationwide.

Beef + Lamb New Zealand CEO, Dr Scott Champion, says the competition is taken very seriously and winning has become a badge of honour.

“The Steak of Origin rewards farmers for their efforts and showcases the skill in the New Zealand beef farming industry,” says Champion. . .

Freshman Sire Highlights Final Day of Karaka 2013:

New Zealand Bloodstock’s 2013 National Yearling Sales Series has drawn to a close today at Karaka with the final 212 yearlings of the Festival Sale concluding a bumper seven days of selling that has seen a total of 1021 lots traded for $72,387,700.

For the third day in a row Westbury Stud’s first season sire Swiss Ace (Secret Savings) provided the top price of the day, this time it was the colt at Lot 1353 from the four-time winning Stravinsky mare Poetic Music bought by Rogerson Bloodstock for $95,000.
1353 web
Top lot of the day the Swiss Ace colt (Lot 1353) purchased by Rogerson Bloodstock for $95,000

“He was the nicest horse here today and he proved that because he was the top lot of the day.

http://www.fwplus.co.nz/article/alternative-view-why-wash-clean-linen-in-public?p=6

Rural round-up

How to make $58,788 per year with 20 cows – Milking on the Moove:

Here’s how, with just 20 cows and a few hours a day you can make $58,788 per year.

I’m serious!

My concern is that it is getting more and more difficult for young farmers to get into farming and secondly dairy farming in particular is not an attractive career choice for the youth of today.
This blog is really about alternative ways to go dairy farming. 

The average dairy farmer has millions of dollars in assets made up of land, cows and Fonterra shares. The conventional way to progress is to work on dairy farms and progress up the share farming ladder.

But there are other ways. . .

How much do dairy farmers make part 2 – Milking on the Moove:

How much money do dairy farmers really make?

Are they really that rich?

Do they really pay no tax?

One of my first posts was “how much money do dairy farmers make”. It’s one of my most popular posts too. The major source for this post is the google search, “how much money do dairy farmers make?”.

I thought I’d go into a little more depth.

But first, what constitutes a dairy farmer? . .

2013 may be year for sheepmeat strategy – Allan Barber:

The key question for the meat industry this year is whether anybody will make any money. After last season when farmers enjoyed unprecedented procurement prices and the meat companies lost millions of dollars as a result, prices have headed south and look set to remain there for the foreseeable future.

Sheepmeat is the product most under threat with the traditional markets all showing serious signs of indigestion. As an example a US importer has been reported as saying he has a year’s worth of inventory and can’t buy any more and neither is anyone else. This signals a major problem for middle cuts like lamb racks, while Europe isn’t exactly rushing to buy any product either. . . .

DCD Suspension Supported:

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) supports today’s announcement by Ravensdown and Ballance Agri-Nutrients that they have voluntarily suspended sales and use of Dicyandiamide (DCD) treatment on farm land until further notice.

“Once we knew that even very low levels of DCD residues found in milk may present a trade issue, MPI set up a working group to assess the impact of that, even though there is no food safety concern associated with the use of DCD,” Carol Barnao, MPI Deputy Director General Standards says.

Consumers’ have high expectations of New Zealand food and the regulations we have in place to ensure its quality and safety, Ms Barnao says. . .

DairyNZ supports DCD suspension:

Industry body DairyNZ has come out in support of Ravensdown and Ballance Agri-Nutrients’ voluntary suspension of sales and use of Dicyandiamide (DCD) treatment on farm land until further notice

However, DairyNZ Chief Executive Tim Mackle is urging the two companies, government authorities and dairy companies to work on pragmatic solutions that would enable the product to be back on the market and able to be used by farmers. . .

 Withdraw of DCD based nitrification inhibitors:

After traces of DCD (Dicyandiamide) were detected in liquid milk, Federated Farmers fully endorses the decision to voluntarily withdraw DCD based nitrification inhibitors until acceptable residue levels have been internationally agreed.

“DCDs are considered safe and there is no evidence to suggest otherwise, however, there is no internationally agreed acceptable level and so the default is the level of detection,” says Dr William Rolleston, Federated Farmers spokesperson on food safety.

“These residues have only come to light given the increased sophistication of testing we now possess. It really shows the thoroughness of testing within New Zealand’s primary industries and the high standard we put on ourselves to protect our reputation as a trusted supplier of food products.

“We also need to keep things in perspective because DCD based nitrification inhibitors have been applied on around 500 dairy farms out of some 12,000 in New Zealand. . .

GIMBLETT GRAVELS Syrah reaffirms pedigree to international wine critics:

Sixteen of the world’s most influential wine critics experienced GIMBLETT GRAVELS wines and hospitality yesterday as part of their tour of New Zealand’s wine regions.

For many, the prime purpose of the visit to Hawke’s Bay was to learn more about the rising phenomena of GIMBLETT GRAVELS Syrah. Twelve 2009 and 2010 vintage Syrahs, including four benchmark international wines from France and Australia, were presented ‘blind’ (completely unidentified) for their evaluation. . .