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May 2004

• Irrigation likely to have big impact on future New Zealand economy
  31 May 2004
  Irrigation has the potential to make a big impact on New Zealand's economy through increased productivity, according to a report released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
• MAF investigation into GM maize nears completion
  28 May 2004
  The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) has largely completed its investigation into the planting of the maize seed containing the very low level of GM presence.
• GM maize - Questions and Answers
  28 May 2004
• New standards for live cattle exports
  28 May 2004
  A new standard is in place for the live export of cattle from New Zealand.
• Regulatory Impact And Business Compliance Costs Statement: Dairy Industry (Application Fees And Fonterra Levy) Regulations 2004
  28 May 2004
  The Commerce Commission (the Commission) is empowered to enforce the Act and its regulatory provisions. Fonterra should bear the majority of the costs of enforcing the necessary legislative package, given it is the dominant entity and prime beneficiary of the Commerce Act 1986 authorisation.
• Statement of Intent Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry 2004/05
• New Zealand helps combat international animal disease outbreaks
  25 May 2004
  The New Zealand government signed an international agreement last night with Ireland, Canada, USA, Australia and the UK to combat animal disease outbreaks in these countries.
• Climate change policy rewards permanent reforestation (Government press release)
  19 May 2004
  The owners of permanent forests established since 1990 will be able to get Kyoto Protocol carbon credits under a new government climate change policy.
• The future forests programme - An initiative to support reforestation carbon sinks - Questions and Answers
  19 May 2004
  Forests contain more carbon for a given area than bare land. This extra carbon comes from removing CO₂ from the atmosphere, which in turn reduces human-induced climate change. The Kyoto Protocol recognises this and allows emission units (sometimes referred to as 'sink credits') to be generated when new (post-1990) forests are established. The emission units generated are equal to the increase in CO₂ stored in a given area of forest between 2008 and 2012. This period is referred to as the first commitment period.
• Painted Apple Moth spray programme ends (Government press release)
  14 May 2004
  The final aerial treatment operation for painted apple moth marked a major milestone in the battle to wipe out the pest, Biosecurity Minister Jim Sutton and Acting Biosecurity Minister Marian Hobbs said today.
• No plans for aerial operations to eradicate fall webworm in Mount Wellington
  12 May 2004
  The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) has no plans to use aerial operations to eradicate fall webworm in Mount Wellington, MAF's director of forest biosecurity Peter Thomson said today.
• No plans for further gypsy moth aerial operations
  12 May 2004
  The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) has no further plans to use aerial treatment for Asian gypsy moth in Hamilton, MAF's director of forest biosecurity Peter Thomson said today.
• May Rural Bulletin
  1 2 May 2004
  including: Changing Face of Older NZers, Important NZ/Asia Free Trade Announcements, "Hot Councils" Awards, Review of Customary Fishing Rules, Funds for Conservation and Restoration, Call for Candidates, What are Your Rights When a Business Shuts?, Electrical Interference and the "C-tick" and Internet Items
• RM Update
  12 May 2004
  This issue of RM Update illustrates the breadth of initiatives that are occurring not only in providing tools for policy on water allocation and quality, but also some of the initiatives that are being undertaken by communities.
• GM maize - Questions and Answers
  12 May 2004
  New Zealand law has zero tolerance for genetically modified organisms that have not been approved to grow here under the provisions of the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996. MAF requires all seed for which a commercial genetically modified line is available that is to be imported into New Zealand to be tested before it gets here to ensure there is no unapproved GM seed present. As there have been no approvals to grow GM seed in New Zealand, if GM seed is found the seeds are not allowed into the country.
• Low level of GM detected in maize seed
  12 May 2004
  An audit of US-based GM testing laboratory Biogenetic Services Ltd (BGS) by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) identified that BGS was deficient in several audited areas, including the way it was interpreting and reporting testing results. Subsequent MAF-sponsored tests of BGS-certified seed consignments have revealed a very low level of GM in two of 15 consignments tested to date.
• A toad with a bit of sole
  5 May 2004
  A Wairarapa man returning from Brisbane could nearly have put his foot in it when a travelling cane toad hitched a ride in one of his shoes packed in his luggage.

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