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Fresh job losses in the manufacturing sector are prompting renewed calls for New Zealanders to back locally made products, as pressure mounts on the country’s industrial base.
The latest developments include the closure of a McCain processing plant and an announcement of around 300 job losses at Wattie’s, highlighting what industry advocates say is a worsening situation for local manufacturing.
Buy NZ Made says the losses reflect the growing challenges facing domestic producers, including rising operating costs and increased competition from imported goods.
The organisation is warning that without stronger support for locally made products, more factories could close and more workers could lose their jobs, particularly in regional communities that rely heavily on manufacturing.
Manufacturing has already been one of the sectors hardest hit by the economic slowdown, with thousands of jobs lost across the country as demand weakens and businesses cut back.
There are concerns the impact goes beyond individual workplaces, with job losses affecting families, local businesses and wider regional economies that depend on those wages.
Advocates are urging consumers, businesses and government agencies to prioritise New Zealand-made goods as a way to help sustain jobs and strengthen the domestic economy.
They say backing local production could play a key role in protecting employment and ensuring the long-term viability of the manufacturing sector in Aotearoa.
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