A National Animal Identification and Tracing integration project failed.
Operational Solutions for Primary Industries (Ospri) is being asked to explain a $16.6 million write-off related to the failure of a major software project.
Ospri’s Informations Systems Strategic Programme was meant to add functionality to the MyOspri portal, integrating new National Animal Identification and Tracing (Nait) functionality.
Federated Farmers Waikato vice president Andrew Reymer made the request for a meeting with the board and a quarterly report after a remit requesting Federated Farmers be given a seat for a farmer who “understands the principle of good governance” on the Ospri board failed.
Federated Farmers is not a shareholder of the organisation and does not qualify for a seat.
“We do not have the power to demand that,” Reymer told The News following a discussion at the Federated Farmers National Council of Provisional Presidents.
Ospri, a partnership between primary industries and the government, manages the National Animal Identification and Tracing (Nait) and TBfree New Zealand national programmes.
Ospri chair Paul Reynolds resigned in October, following the failure, and was replaced by Fenton Wilson.
Reymer’s remit said Ospri’s inability to integrate Nait with third party software providers put the primary industry at greater risk, duplicated the regulatory load for farmers and resulted in a poor fiscal outcome for levy payers.
Nait is only currently available to support beef, dairy and deer livestock with no ability to track sheep or pigs, both industries that would benefit from traceability in a major disease outbreak, the remit said.
“The ownership structure of Ospri being partially owned by the levy bodies was supposed to be able to provide farmer ownership.
The levy bodies as it stands have very little engagement with grass roots farmers, unlike Federated Farmers.
“The proposal to dissolve the Ospri stakeholder council which appoints the Board of Ospri, means there will be even less farmer oversight over who is appointed to oversee the key Ospri projects, like the Nait software rebuild.
“These projects have the potential to lose sight of what the end user needs, and how critical third-party software integration is to this, especially in the event of a major disease outbreak.
“The current board is made up of professional directors which lack ‘skin in the game’.”
“We want to try and get a bit more of a handle on what’s going on,” Reymer told The News.
“A lot of the things they did were not really farmer proof. We just want to make sure that they are on the right track. Ospri must meet and report quarterly to Federated Farmers.”
Ospri has been contacted for comment.
