Perspectives: Seeing ‘the wood through the trees’ – Seafood NZ on industry progress

20th June 2022 By Contributor | contact@foodticker.co.nz | @foodtickernz

The workings of government can often appear opaque but important work for the industry is under way, writes Seafood New Zealand.

Two documents that have landed on our desks recently from the Ministry for Primary Industries were good examples of the work that is going on, sometimes unacknowledged, to back New Zealand’s primary sector.

The ministry is propelling a huge workstream in the name of promoting and supporting the dairy, meat and wool, arable, forestry, horticulture, and seafood sectors – and export figures show that support is paying real dividends.

Twice a year, the Ministry publishes the Situation and Outlook for Primary Industries (SOPI). It is a comprehensive and valuable overview of each sector, with detailed analysis of trends and forecasts.

The good news for seafood is that the SOPI predicts a 9% increase in seafood revenue by the year ending June 2022.

The forecast has been revised upwards to $1.9bn due to a lift in volume and prices. That’s close to pre-pandemic numbers.

Sometimes, while we are in the gloom of rising fuel and freight prices, crew shortages, and increased regulatory costs we cannot see the wood for the trees, but some global conditions are actually becoming more favourable.

The SOPI points out that prices are increasing because of a tight global supply, demand is recovering, and food service is reopening. It is also good to have acknowledgement in the report that increased operating costs are putting a strain on businesses, despite record prices for wild capture and aquaculture.

Rock lobster, hoki, mussels, and salmon alone represent 53% of the total seafood exports in 2021.

The second MPI publication was an update on the Fit for a Better World programme, a collaboration with the food and fibre sectors to enhance New Zealand’s reputation for producing safe, high-quality, sustainable food and fibre products.

The industry plays an active role in this initiative, with Jeremy Helson of Seafood New Zealand on the

Through the Fit for a Better World initiative, Seafood New Zealand is in partnership with MPI and Deloitte to develop a workforce transition plan, which aims to lessen the industry’s reliance on foreign workers and encourage more New Zealanders into the seafood industry.

This involves promoting seafood with school careers advisors, placing seafood in the curriculum, improving vocational training, and expanding seafood apprenticeships to include marine engineering and maritime qualifications.

Science plays a big part in the Fit for a Better World agenda, and one of the projects funded will see $1.7m earmarked to fast-track the development of sustainable packaging for the transport of seafood
products.

The labyrinthine wheels of government remain mysterious for much of the time but, like a duck paddling, much work is going on beneath the surface.

It should be acknowledged.

The Situation and Outlook for Primary Industries report can be found here.

The Fit for a Better World progress update can be found here.

Republished with permission from Seafood New Zealand’s The Update.