Levy increase for NAIT farm animal tracing scheme cut back

Photo / RNZ - Carol Stiles

RNZ

Proposed increases in the levies farmers pay for the NAIT scheme have been reduced.

The National Animal Identification and Tracing scheme is used to track cattle and deer in biosecurity outbreaks such as mycoplasma bovis and TB.

Farmers pay a 90 cent levy for every animal they tag in the compulsory scheme, as well as a 50 cent slaughter levy.

Animal health agency OSPRI, which manages NAIT, proposed increases to help improve the scheme.

Head of traceability Kevin Forward said following consultation those increases have been reduced.

From July 1 the tag level will go from 90 cents to 97 cents instead of the proposed $1.35 and the slaughter levy will go from 50 cents to $1.49 instead of the proposed $1.77.

Ospri put forward the proposed increases as it was spending cash reserves to meet increasing operational expenditure due to the outbreak of M Bovis.

It had developed a new fit for purpose NAIT scheme which required additional funding.

"We've spent close to two years working on revised strategy with stakeholders and we still believe that long term, that's the right strategy for New Zealand," Forward said.

"But it is challenging economic times, we've got inflation going up a fair bit, there's a lot of cost pressures coming on when we look at what's happening in the farming sector, for example, He Waka Eke Noa and a lot of other ... regulatory requirements.

"So, you know, I think we need to be pragmatic about it."

The plan would be revised to match the amount collected by the levies.

- RNZ