18 Feb 2021

Protecting provincial food producing land vital

From Nine To Noon, 9:07 am on 18 February 2021
Market gardens in Pukekohe, south of Auckland City.

Photo: RNZ / Eva Corlett

Pressure is on many provincial towns as population growth sparks new housing developments which eat into prime food producing land. Horticulture New Zealand says it's vital to have protections for productive land and food security.

And it's not just urban creep -  like Auckland's well established sprawl into Pukekohe's fertile soil, it's also urbanites leaving the cities and swelling provincial settlements. Kathryn talks to Federated Farmers Vice President Karen Williams, also the Mayor of the Far North John Carter and Horticulture NZ's Environment Manager, Michelle Sands.