Kiwifruit growers mull legal action

It says the findings underline how critical it is for the country's biosecurity to be appropriately resourced.

NZKGI's president Neil Trebilco says the failings identified in the independent review for the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) by the Sapere Research Group must be urgently addressed.

"This report comes only weeks after the Queensland Fruit Fly find. The impact of the Psa biosecurity incursion has already been severe on our industry, but had the fruit fly established itself here the cost to New Zealand's entire horticultural industry would have been massive.

"Both Psa and the Queensland Fruit Fly examples highlight how critical it is for those tasked with protecting our borders to get it right."

Trebilco says the report has identified specific failings with the way in which the then Ministry for Agriculture and Forestry managed its biosecurity processes in relation to Psa.

"NZKGI is concerned enough about these failings that on behalf of growers we seek legal advice to assess the review and related information, to ascertain if we should take any further action.

"Many growers have lost all, or part, of their livelihoods as a result of Psa coming into New Zealand. As the grower representative organisation, it is NZKGI's job to consider all possible options for growers impacted by Psa," Trebilco says.

Trebilco says there are some key steps the Government could take right now to enhance biosecurity, including x-raying all baggage coming into New Zealand, beagles meeting all flights into New Zealand and better consultation with industry on New Zealand's biosecurity.

"All primary producers have a significant reliance on the effectiveness of New Zealand's biosecurity system. For the system to be as effective as possible, Government and industry must work together across every aspect of biosecurity, including pre-border risk assessment and border control," Trebilco says.

Trebilco said NZKGI would now consider the review in more depth and wait for subsequent legal advice before taking the next steps.

MPI Director-General Wayne McNee says: "The review was sought to test the adequacy of import health standards and border processes related to kiwifruit plant materials and horticulture equipment and identify what improvements could be made to the biosecurity system as a result.

"The review has found shortcomings in the way MPI's (then MAF) systems and processes were applied to the importation of kiwifruit, kiwifruit pollen, kiwifruit nursery stock, kiwifruit seeds and horticultural equipment, prior to the Psa outbreak.

"While the review also says that it does not automatically follow that these shortcomings contributed to the entry of Psa-V into New Zealand, improvements are needed, and MPI is moving immediately to implement those improvements," McNee says/

"The Ministry will implement all six recommendations from the review and will report to the Minister for Primary Industries in three months time on progress."

McNee saysthe review had found talthough the biosecurity risks associated with the importing of goods could never be entirely mitigated, protections could be improved by MPI, industry and Crown Research Institutes working more closely to understand emerging risks.

"This is an important finding and underscores the significance of work MPI is currently doing with primary industries to develop Government Industry Agreements (GIA). Under the GIA, the government and primary industries will partner on biosecurity readiness and response."

McNee says although improvements had been identified, New Zealand has a world class biosecurity system.

"Biosecurity risks are always changing and we need to be constantly improving and adapting our system as well. Identifying improvements where incursions happen is part of the reason why our system is so strong," he says.

The review findings and MPI's action plan to address those findings is available at www.mpi.govt.nz