A protest against the plan for meat inspection privatisation took place outside Parliament. Photo / RNZ, Samuel Rillstone
By Gianina Schwanecke of RNZ
A proposal to partially privatise meat inspections will actually increase costs, reduce flexibility and create capability and equity challenges within the sector, according to a leaked report funded by the government’s meat inspection service.
The Ministry for Primary Industries is currently seeking feedback on letting processing companies do more meat inspection work themselves, with reduced oversight from AsureQuality.
Completed by BDO for AsureQuality, the report said annual costs for a single chain would increase by more than 20% - $861,000 to $1.07 million per plant, with an extra $343,000 in set-up costs.
Public Service Association national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons said the report was “explosive”, with meat inspectors gathering at Parliament on Monday to express their concerns about the proposed changes.
“This analysis by the Government’s own meat inspection service is a damning indictment of a proposal that puts at risk our $10 billion a year red meat export industry.
“When even AsureQuality – the state-owned company providing the service – says this will ‘increase costs, reduce flexibility, and create capability challenges,’ you know the Government’s proposal is fundamentally flawed.”
Fitzsimons said it would increase costs through new roles and training being required, adding to concerns about the independence of inspectors and the expertise developed by AsureQuality over the years.
She said the current model was not broken, it was “safe, compliant and accepted by trading partners”, adding there was “no evidence the changes are required to meet market access requirements”.
AsureQuality’s chief executive, Kim Ballinger, said with consultation underway, she would not comment on leaked or partial documents or speculate on potential outcomes.
She said she was “incredibly proud” of its employees, who had provided meat inspection services for 125 years.
“We’re continuing to prioritise collaboration with our people and unions, customers, MPI, industry bodies and our other partners, to support New Zealand’s red meat sector in providing the high-quality, safe meat products that it’s renowned for globally.”
New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle also would not comment as consultation is ongoing, but would review AsureQuality’s submission.
He said the changes would align New Zealand’s requirements for inspecting and verifying exported meat more closely with international guidelines and domestic regulatory rules.
“The consultation tests possible changes to align New Zealand’s requirements for inspecting and verifying exported meat more closely with international guidelines and our own domestic regulatory rules.
“The programme of work to investigate these changes was developed with the support of industry and input from AsureQuality.”
Meat Industry Association science and innovation manager Richard McColl said it had yet to see the AsureQuality report and modelling that underpinned it.
“However, it’s disappointing to see the amount of misinformation and scare-mongering circulating about the proposal.
“It’s important that any discussion is grounded in facts and evidence.”
He said New Zealand’s reputation as a producer of high-quality and safe food was paramount and “no processor would risk compromising the safety or reputation of New Zealand red meat, or jeopardising market access by failing to manage these risks”.
McColl said the current meat inspection model was “resource intensive” and had “not evolved along with other parts of the sector”.
“This programme is about giving meat processors and exporters responsibility and ownership of their own risks.
”Most importantly, final inspections will continue to be undertaken by a government employee to meet market access requirements.”
He said it was an opportunity to explore and consider other meat inspection options to achieve the crucial food safety and market access requirements, as well as build a “more resilient and higher-skilled workforce”.
“Meat processors and exporters are among the largest employers in communities up and down the country and take great pride in the culture and the people who make the industry what it is today.”
Consultation is open until January 23.
- RNZ