The Party of Farmers

The primary sector is the engine room of the New Zealand economy.

When our farmers and rural communities are doing well, all of New Zealand does well. That’s why we’re working with you to boost on-farm productivity and introduce sensible rules that let you get on with farming. Since taking office, we’ve done what we said we’d do to help you get ahead.

Getting you back to farming

• Slashing unnecessary compliance, with over 20 actions and changes made in the first 12 months that reduce cost, cut red tape, deliver what the sector asked for and provide certainty for the 360,000 hard-working men and women of rural New Zealand
• Fixing unworkable freshwater rules by replacing the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management and rebalancing Te Mana O Te Wai
• Restoring common sense to regulations by simplifying intensive winter grazing, stock exclusion and on-farm water storage

Promoting Global Trade and Investment

• Securing significant market access via new trade agreements with the UAE and GCC and launching trade negotiations with India
• Eliminating over $733 million of non tariff barriers in our key export markets
• Cabinet taking a pragmatic approach to the Paris Agreement to ensure market access to overseas consumers. We will not close down farms or send jobs and production overseas

Providing certainty for farmers and communities

• Invested $8 million in lower methane dairy genetics research
• Limiting farm to forest conversions effective as of December 4th 2024
• Removing agriculture from the Emissions Trading Scheme
• Disbanding He Waka Eke Noa
• Improving access to productivity boosting technology and innovation through investment in AgriZero and sector driven initiatives Backing rural communities
• Expanding the Regional Seasonal Employer (RSE) Scheme
• Launching an Inquiry into rural banking
• Boosting investment in Rural Support Trusts
• Increasing support for Catchment Groups

“My pledge to you is we will not close down farms or send jobs and production overseas. We will only make decisions that are in the best interest of New Zealand.”

Rt Hon Christopher Luxon | Leader of the National Party