increase font size
Apple and stonefruit growers are disappointed with MPI's revised directions.
An impasse between the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and apple and stonefruit growers is continuing.
MPI issued the revised directions under s122 of the Biosecurity Act one minute before the 5:00pm deadline set by the High Court yesterday. However, apple and stonefruit growers aren’t happy.
The revised directions refer to the tens of thousands of apple (Malus) and stonefruit (Prunus) plants previously seized by MPI under s116 of the Biosecurity Act, which was deemed unlawful following a High Court judicial review.
“It appears that MPI has taken what it calls ‘a more generalised approach’, rather than the required specific and targeted approach encouraged by the High Court,” says Kerry Sixtus, owner of Pattullo’s Nurseries Limited in Napier.
“Essentially, it appears that all of the plants that were contained under s116 have simply been transferred to the new order and are now contained under s122.
“We are very concerned that the new directions provide no guarantee as to when any of the plants will be released from containment. There has been no commitment from MPI to timelines, which makes our lives and the prospect of commercialising any of these plants extremely challenging,” says Sixtus.
Since the High Court ruling, the plants and plant materials have been subject to interim orders, requiring the parties to contain selected plant materials in an appropriate quarantine facility and allowing all other plant material to remain in situ and be subject to a spraying and/or netting programme agreed with MPI.
“The directions do not appear to differentiate between plant material that has been directly imported from the CPCNW, and material that has been propagated in New Zealand or take into account the age and growing stage of the various plants,” says Sixtus.
“MPI has given us little hope of bringing some of the innovative plant varieties through to commercial production in a realistic timeframe to enable us to compete with global markets.
“We are no closer to a suitable resolution than we were three weeks ago. We will continue to fight but the prospect of turning our back on our lifetime’s work, burning everything and walking away is still very real. This is not an acceptable outcome,” he says.
The group will take some time to carefully review and consider the new directions and testing plan.
Ballance Agri-Nutrients fertiliser SustaiN – which contains a urease inhibitor that reduces the amount of ammonia released to the air – has now been registered by the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI). It is the first fertiliser in New Zealand to achieve this status.
New Zealand’s apple and pear industry has surpassed $1 billion in orchard gate returns (OGR) for the first time.
The Director General of MPI, Ray Smith, says the growth in the kiwifruit sector is a massive bounce back.
Horticulture Minister Nicola Grigg says she takes her hat off to all NZ growers for the hard yards they have put in over the last few years which have resulted in horticulture exports expected to reach the milestone of $8 billion this year.
Brydon Nisbet, the president of Hawke's Bay Fruit Growers Federation, says the mood of growers in Hawke's Bay is quite upbeat because it's been a good season for apples.
This International Women's Day, there are calls to address a reported gender disparity gap between men women New Zealand's horticulture industry leadership.
WorkSafe New Zealand is calling on farmers to consider how vehicles move inside their barns and sheds, following a sentencing for a death at one of South Canterbury’s biggest agribusinesses.
Now is not the time to stop incorporating plantain into dairy pasture systems to reduce nitrogen (N) loss, says Agricom Australasia brand manager Mark Brown.
Building on the success of last year's events, the opportunity to attend People Expos is back for 2025, offering farmers the chance to be inspired and gain more tips and insights for their toolkits to support their people on farm.
Ballance Agri-Nutrients fertiliser SustaiN – which contains a urease inhibitor that reduces the amount of ammonia released to the air – has now been registered by the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI). It is the first fertiliser in New Zealand to achieve this status.
Precision application of nitrogen can improve yields, but the costs of testing currently outweigh improved returns, according to new research from Plant and Food Research, MPI and Ravensdown.
OPINION: Henry Dimbleby, author of the UK's Food Strategy, recently told the BBC: "Meat production is about 85% of our…
OPINION: For the last few weeks, we've witnessed a parade of complaints about New Zealand's school lunch program: 'It's arriving…
