Biosecurity tops priorities for agribusiness leaders - report
Biosecurity remains the top priority for agribusiness leaders, according to KPMG’s 2025 Agribusiness Agenda released last week.
INVESTIGATIONS INTO how a single fruit fly arrived in Whangarei must continue after the local port ruled out being the source, Labour's Primary Industries spokesman Damien O'Connor says.
"New Zealand cannot afford to let its guard down despite no further fruit flies being found in Whangarei," O'Connor says.
"An infestation of Queensland fruit flies would have a devastating effect on our horticulture industry. They are the horticulture equivalent of foot and mouth disease.
"The Whangarei ports said it didn't arrive via its facilities because no produce is imported on its docks.
"We still don't know how the fly got here. It is important we know so we can protect our valuable industries from the decimation these flies have caused on Australian crops.
"Other routes into the country such as recreational yachts must be considered.
"New Zealand has been let off with a warning. Next time we won't be so lucky.
"This Government has run our biosecurity services into the ground. Our biosecurity resources are spread so thin, officers would be seriously stretched by a large-scale infestation."
A brilliant result and great news for growers and regional economies. That's how horticulture sector leaders are describing the news that sector exports for the year ended June 30 will reach $8.4 billion - an increase of 19% on last year and is forecast to hit close to $10 billion in 2029.
Funding is proving crucial for predator control despite a broken model reliant on the goodwill of volunteers.
A major milestone on New Zealand's unique journey to eradicate Mycoplasma bovis could come before the end of this year.
We're working through it, and we'll get to it.
The debate around New Zealand's future in the Paris Agreement is heating up.
A technical lab manager for Apata, Phoebe Scherer, has won the Bay of Plenty 2025 Young Grower regional title.