The Benefits and their Value

The HEA Act provides an enabling framework for enforcement across the industry.
The legislation provides Recognised Product Groups (RPG) with the ability to:

• Develop a strong industry structure and cohesion via the product group.
• Set, maintain, and enforce grade and quality standards.
• Develop and mandate comprehensive food safety programmes.
• Provide funding for agreed industry-good activities.
• Collect industry statistics and information to enable informed decisions – quality information empowers a Product Group.
• Have a voice in Wellington to work with Government to improve access to a variety of markets.
• Provide Industry Development initiatives.
• Deal with market access, through:
  • Providing industry structure.
  • Projecting confidence to importing country officials.
  • Giving MPI NZ confidence in the industry which is critical in Government to Government discussions.
  • Maintaining industry standards (particularly those relating food safety and chemical residues) through the HEA hearing and EMS process, thereby ensuring continued access to markets.

The HEA believes the collective value of these benefits far outweighs the costs of operating under the HEA framework.