Cost of Biosecurity Scheme Unknown
NEW ZEALAND - Farmers will soon be able to access funding for biosecurity outbreaks in the same way they do for floods and droughts.Primary Industries Minister David Carter says the new Biosecurity Recovery Framework will alleviate the impact of outbreaks like the deadly PSA disease.
According to 3News.co.nz, he says working out how much the change will cost is difficult.
“It’s hard to anticipate the costs simply because we don’t know what incursions might arise when and what the effects will be so it’s very difficult to quantify the costs,” says Mr Carter.
Mr Carter says the scheme is significant because when primary industries take a hit, the whole economy suffers.
"The Government recognises that biosecurity incursions can have economic, environmental and social impacts that can hit production businesses hard and take time to recover from," he says.
"The new framework will make recovery measures available to people seriously impacted by a disease or pest incursion."
Commercial production businesses within the agriculture, horticulture, forestry and aquaculture sectors would be able to apply for assistance.