Covid-19 may be dominating the headlines, but the National Party is keeping primary production front and centre of voters with a series of meetings in the region connecting with people working at the ‘coalface’ of  meat, wool, fibre and crop production in the region.

“Whilst primary producers may have lost some important profile during lockdowns this year, the value of food production, in particular, has shown its value, being an essential service when other industries were off limits,” Maureen Pugh says.

Coming to the West Coast on Monday are National’s spokesperson on Agriculture, David Bennett, Rangitikei MP Ian McKelvie who holds the racing, fishing and forestry shadow portfolios and Waikato MP Tim van de Molen who is National’s Biosecurity spokesperson. Also joining the group is former Speaker, David Carter.

Meetings planned are at Moana Hotel at 12.15pm and Ikamatua Hotel around 2pm, followed by an evening meeting at The Quarry restaurant in Westport for business owners and farmers, starting at 7pm.

“The current Government’s policies are going to have far-reaching affects on primary industries in the next few years – National’s Ag Caucus is keen to hear about those impacts first-hand from the people directly involved and to talk about what a National Government would do differently,” Mrs Pugh says.