Possible merger of SOEs AgriQuality and ASURE NZ

Media Release
Tuesday 27 March 2007

Possible merger of state-owned enterprises AgriQuality Limited and ASURE New Zealand Limited

AgriQuality Chair, Rakihia Tau, has expressed the company’s strong support for the initiative, announced by Hon Trevor Mallard today, to investigate the business case for a merger between AgriQuality Limited and ASURE New Zealand Limited.

“In the past seven years we have witnessed immense changes across the international global supply chain and regulatory environment. Original imperatives for establishing two separate entities have subsided and there is now a strong case to be considered for merging the two companies.”

“As a state-owned enterprise, AgriQuality is committed to creating value for its ultimate stakeholders – the New Zealand public. Greater integration of AgriQuality’s food safety and biosecurity infrastructure with ASURE’s operational expertise especially, in meat inspection services, has the potential to enhance our ability to deal with any biosecurity threat the country may face.”

”The possible merger of AgriQuality and ASURE would have the added advantage of allowing effective traceability of food from the paddock right through to the supermarket shelf, strengthening access to international markets across the breadth of the supply chain.”

“Any move in this direction will see our reputation for producing safe and wholesome food products enhanced with the potential to benefit the wider agricultural and food industries in New Zealand.”

ENDS

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