The Associate Agriculture Minister says he's been unable to get Cabinet to agree to reinstate the live export trade – saying it won't be progressing this political term.
Both National and ACT campaigned at the last election on overturning the ban on livestock exports by sea and promised to bring in a new gold standard to ensure the highest standards of animal welfare.
Andrew Hoggard told 1News he was still personally in favour of reversing the ban – but he had been unable to get Cabinet consensus.
Revealed: Whether govt will proceed with live exports trade plan this term - Watch on TVNZ+
"I know I promised that we'd have it in the Parliament by now, unfortunately discussions have carried on and we haven't reached a decision yet.
"Needless to say it's a highly contentious area — we needed to get everyone on board to take it forward and we haven't achieved that at this stage.
"There's definitely going to be some disappointed farmers that it's not progressing."
National's animal welfare spokesperson Nicola Grigg declined to comment.
The industry was worth $374 million to New Zealand in 2022 but was banned by the previous Labour Government the following year over animal welfare concerns, notably the sinking of the Gulf Livestock 1 in a typhoon off Japan in 2020 which killed 40 crew and nearly 6000 cows from New Zealand.
The Greens animal welfare spokesperson Steve Abel said he was very happy the ban wasn't being overturned "for the sake of the animals".
"Live animal exports at sea means animals spending weeks on ships in miserable conditions living in their own filth, it's a cruel trade and it should never happen," Abel said.
Instead of overturning the ban, Hoggard told 1News the Government would focus on its RMA reforms that he said were really important to farmers.
SHARE ME