New Zealand (Common Wealth) _ The Poultry Industry Association of New Zealand (PIANZ) signed the Government Industry Agreement for Biosecurity Readiness and Response (GIA) on 21 June 2023, in the presence of Biosecurity Minister Hon Damien O’Connor and senior Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) representatives.
By signing the GIA Deed, PIANZ joins the 23 other industrial sectors that have promised to collaborate with the Government and each other to tackle the potential of a pest or disease incursion that would severely harm Aotearoa New Zealand’s primary industries.
PIANZ’s decision to join the Partnership is welcomed by GIA’s chair, Dave Harrison.
The chicken meat sector is a vital contributor to New Zealand’s food and fibre sectors, as well as to the country’s overall economic well-being. He thinks it’s fantastic that the PIANZ has realized the value of collaborating with other GIA partners to improve biosecurity outcomes.
According to PIANZ chair Egbert Segers, biosecurity is critical to the chicken meat business because it protects the industry’s reputation for delivering safe, healthy, and high-quality products.
According to him, a large-scale biosecurity invasion of a deadly bird disease such as avian influenza or Newcastle disease may ruin the poultry meat industry.
Joining GIA to collaborate with the government on our industry’s biosecurity concerns is a critical component of our goal of being a trusted, economical, and safe source of food for customers while meeting or exceeding regulatory bodies’ high standards. Our major poultry disease-free status is critical to our international standing in the poultry industry.
PIANZ promotes the interests of more than 99 percent of New Zealand’s poultry meat producers.
Mr Segers says PIANZ is committed to maintaining and increasing biosecurity preparation and response standards by collaborating with the government and other primary sectors.
Stuart Anderson, Deputy Director-General of Biosecurity New Zealand, welcomed PIANZ to the cooperation.
Biosecurity is everyone’s duty in New Zealand. Only through close collaboration with industry and other partners will we be able to establish a strong, secure biosecurity system. I’m delighted that the poultry industry has agreed to join us in the GIA, and I look forward to working with them to increase our biosecurity readiness, he says.
