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 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
ends