Yes, I know what you are thinking. New Zealanders will always be able to buy fresh, locally grown vegetables – they just will because they have always been able to…
But what if increasing production costs and regulation meant it was no longer viable to grow vegetables in key growing areas like Pukekohe, the Horowhenua and Canterbury? So as a result, vegetable growers went out of business, and New Zealand had to rely on imports of frozen or canned vegetables.
Or, like butter and cheese, fresh, New Zealand-grown vegetables became so expensive that few New Zealanders can afford them. This scenario would have a detrimental effect on people’s health and wellbeing, which would put an even bigger drain on our already stretched beyond capacity health system.
But the answer is simple. In this Government’s reform of resource management legislation, vegetable growing must become a ‘permitted activity’, to use the jargon. This would involve a national approach to vegetable production – instead of a region-by-region one – as part of a national food strategy, which would ensure New Zealand had food security and New Zealanders continued to have access to healthy food at reasonable prices.
Read more by Vegetables NZ Chief Executive, Antony Heywood in the latest issue here
