New Zealand's new coalition government has committed to overturning a ban on live animal exports. The coalition government of the National Party, led by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, New Zealand First and ACT New Zealand was sworn in on Monday, November 27. It has also committed to overturning laws that restrict the amount of nitrogen that can be applied to land. The coalition agreement commits the new government to amend the Resource Management Act to "allow farmers to farm". The agreement was finalised on Friday, November 24, more than a month after the NZ election on October 14, 2023, that swept the Labour party from power. NZ banned live animal exports in April 2023, having announced the policy change two years' earlier, partly in response to the sinking of a livestock ship in 2020. In 2022, NZ exported 134,722 cattle - primarily dairy animals - for breeding. Australia's exports of live dairy heifers have soared in the past five years - in part as buyers sought to establish alternative sources to NZ. Dairy Australia's In Focus 2023 report revealed 110,407 animals were exported in 2022-23, up from 46,879 in 2017-18. Caps on the amount of nitrogen farmers could apply to land were established in the National Environmental Standards for Freshwater 2020. From July 1, 2021, it became illegal to spread more than 190 kilograms of synthetic nitrogen per hectare per year on any grazed land. The new government has committed to replacing the National Environmental Standards for Freshwater and the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020 to better reflect the interests of all water users. It has also committed to ensuring climate change policies were aligned and did not undermine national energy security. The new government also announced the cessation of a review of the NZ Emissions Trading Scheme. The new government is heavy on agriculture ministers. Cabinet member the National's Todd McClay is the new Minister of Agriculture. He is also the Minister of Forestry, Minister for Hunting and Fishing and Minister for Trade. Three associate ministers of agriculture sit outside cabinet. Former Federated Farmers of New Zealand leader and ACT New Zealand parliamentarian dairy farmer Andrew Hoggard is the Associate Minister of Agriculture (Animal Welfare, Skills), Minister for Biosecurity, Minister for Food Safety and Associate Minister for the Environment. New Zealand First's Mark Patterson is Associate Minister of Agriculture and Minister for Rural Communities. National's Nicola Grigg is Association Minister of Agriculture (Horticulture), Minister of State for Trade and Minister for Women. Want to read more stories like this? Sign up below (select Dairy News) to receive our e-newsletter delivered fresh to your email inbox twice a week.
