This week, Minister Jo-Anne Marie Luxton, Minister of Customs and Associate Minister for Agriculture and Education, gave a speech, focused on the Sustainable Food and Fibres Future Project.
She addressed the New Zealand onion industry, saying:
“The onion industry, despite its humble reputation, deserves more recognition. This is especially true when it is worth more than $14 billion, and exports to countries all around the globe. Whether you’re eating nasi goreng in Indonesia, shepherd’s pie in the UK, or French onion soup in France, there is a good chance it may have been made with a few humble kiwi onions.”
“New Zealand produces onions from Pukekohe to Canterbury. A good 15 percent of our production is in the Hawke’s Bay, which as we know, was severely impacted this year from Cyclone Gabrielle. We also know onion crops in Pukekohe were badly affected by the January flooding in Auckland.”
“For farmers whose livelihoods depend on their crops, events like these can cause immense stress. Farming is already a challenging industry, and intensifying weather events only make things harder. I want to express my heartfelt sympathy to all those present here whose businesses may have been affected by the recent catastrophic weather events.”
“Our Government is committed to supporting onion growers where we can. Recently we established a Waikato On Farm Support team that has built relationships with growers this year in Pukekohe, offering support throughout the emergency response and recovery from Cyclone Gabrielle.”
Source: beehive.govt.nz