More accolades for PGP programmes   15 Oct 2014

More accolades for PGP programmes

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy has congratulated Precision Seafood Harvesting (PSH) for winning the Innovation in Sustainability & Clean Tech award and the Supreme Innovator award at the New Zealand Innovators Awards in Auckland tonight.

“This is a Primary Growth Partnership (PGP) programme, jointly funded by industry and government, with the potential to change the way the world catches fish.

“PSH is commercialising net technology that will allow fish to be landed on fishing boats alive, and in near-perfect condition, while safely releasing small fish and other species before a catch is harvested.

“As well as protecting the health of fish stocks, it creates opportunities to export premium fish.

“This six year programme has $52 million in funding jointly committed by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), Aotearoa Fisheries, Sanford and the Sealord Group. In June it was also awarded the People’s Choice Award at the KiwiNet Awards.”

This win follows a recent accolade for another PGP programme - the New Zealand Sheep Industry Transformation (NZSTX) programme, which aims to transform our sheep industry.

“Last month SILERE alpine origin merino meat picked up the KPMG Export Innovation Award at the 2014 New Zealand Food Awards. This product was developed through a joint venture by the New Zealand Merino Company Limited and Silver Fern Farms, as part of the NZSTX programme,” says Mr Guy.

“SILERE alpine origin merino is a premium meat brand which is being successfully sold in domestic and international markets. It is part of a range of initiatives in the NZSTX programme to add value to merino growers and New Zealand’s sheep industry.

“Congratulations to everyone involved in these programmes. These awards show that PGP programmes are already delivering major benefits, and will play a big part in achieving our goal of doubling the value of primary sector exports by 2025.”

A recent report by NZIER shows that the Primary Growth Partnership could return up to $6.4 billion to the New Zealand economy by 2025, and up to $11.1b if the aspirational stretch of programmes is realised, the innovations are taken up widely and all the R&D is successful.

About the Primary Growth Partnership

The PGP aims to boost the productivity and profitability of our primary sector through investment between government and industry. It provides an essential springboard to enable New Zealand to stay at the forefront of primary sector innovation. There are currently 16 PGP programmes underway with two recently completed, and around $700 million co—invested by industry and government.

PGP programmes are generally long-run programmes of five to seven years’ duration and are subject to oversight and monitoring by an independent panel (the Investment Advisory Panel) and MPI.

Monitoring requirements include programme steering groups, quarterly progress reporting, annual plans, audits, and progress reviews, along with evaluation of the overall programme. Funding is only released to programmes on receipt of invoices for work completed in accordance with programme plans.

More information is available at http://www.mpi.govt.nz/agriculture/funding-programmes/primary-growth-partnership.aspx

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