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HORTICULTURE NEW ZEALAND believes this country's ability to control regional biosecurity risk is woeful and there are few signs of any willingness to improve.
"We have no real appreciation of the importance of controlling the movement of pest and disease between different parts of the country," HortNZ chief executive Peter Silcock says.
"This is an area of biosecurity we could do a much better job on, instead of leaving it up to chance and collectively crossing our fingers.
"Most pests around the world are not spread naturally. It takes humans to move them from place to place."
The Department of Conservation has called on the residents of Nelson to check their caravans and trailers for Great White Butterfly pupae before they leave the district on holiday this year.
They are warning residents they could inadvertently spread the pest, which DoC has been working hard to eradicate from Nelson. The pest is a major threat to commercial crops and native plants.
Meanwhile the kiwifruit industry is still trying to work out how the deadly kiwifruit disease Psa spread out of the Bay of Plenty into Wanganui. There was no plant material or machinery movement.
"This is such a common story for horticulture, and the fact is, it affects every home gardener as well," says Silcock.
"We have little or no national co-ordination of vigilance around movement of pest and disease within New Zealand."
Horticulture is impressed with DoC's efforts to try to keep this story in front of people.
"This is a worthy attempt to draw attention to the very real possibility that this pest could be easily moved to another part of the country, tucked up in someone's beach umbrella or picnic table."
In this biosecurity article, I touch on four subjects of recent interest: the new New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) Biosecurity Contractor Resources, a Brown Marmorated Stink Bug update, a Xylella Action Group update, and the Forest Biosecurity Conference.
Water allocation and storage has been a hot topic of discussion during HortNZ’s grower meetings held recently around the country.
Taranaki has launched Biosecurity Taranaki in an effort to safeguard the region’s environment.
Don't forget East Coast growers hit by Cyclone Gabrielle one year ago.
Every year, the New Zealand Winegrowers biosecurity team is sent an increasing number of images from members of suspected grapevine pest insects and disease symptoms, evidence that a high level of biosecurity awareness is building amongst the industry.
Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford is claiming “some real success” on the 12 policy priorities it placed before the Coalition Government.
Federated Farmers is throwing its support behind the Fast-track Approvals Bill introduced by the Coalition Government to enable a fast-track decision-making process for infrastructure and development projects.
The latest report from ANZ isn’t good news for sheep farmers: lamb returns are forecast to remain low.
Divine table grapes that herald the start of a brand-new industry in Hawke’s Bay have been coming off vines in Maraekakaho.
In what appears to be a casualty of the downturn in the agricultural sector, a well-known machinery brand is now in the hands of liquidators and owing creditors $6.6 million.
One of New Zealand’s deepest breeder Jersey herds – known for its enduring connection through cattle with the UK’s longest reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II – will host its 75th anniversary celebration sale on-farm on April 22.
