Editorial: Support, don't stifle farmers
OPINION: Ministry for Primary Industries' situation outlook for primary industries report (SOPI) makes impressive reading.
Ministry for Primary Industries border staff were shocked last week by a passenger arriving in Auckland with two crates of fresh mango – which carry a high risk of hosting Queensland fruit fly.
The fruit fly is one of the biggest risks to our horticultural industry.
The woman passenger from Brisbane declared the fruit, so did not receive any penalty. She thought it was okay to bring mangos into New Zealand after talking with the airline, says operational support coordinator Steve Gay.
"It is common to see a passenger carry one or two fruit items, but two whole crates is really over the top," says Gay.
Gay says the mangos posed a high biosecurity risk to New Zealand. "They're a favourite fruit for Queensland Fruit Fly – a pest that would have a devastating impact on New Zealand horticulture if it became established here.
"The good thing is the woman declared the goods, which shows our biosecurity messages are getting through to international passengers. We'll be talking further with the airline to see if there is any confusion about our biosecurity rules."
The crates contained 28 mangos. They have since been destroyed.
Two butcheries have claimed victory at the 100% New Zealand Bacon & Ham Awards for 2025.
A Taupiri farming company has been convicted and fined $52,500 in the Hamilton District Court for the unlawful discharge of dairy effluent into the environment.
The Climate Change Commission’s 2025 emissions reduction monitoring report reveals steady progress on the reduction of New Zealand’s climate pollution.
Another milestone has been reached in the fight against Mycoplasma bovis with the compensation assistance service being wound up after helping more than 1300 farmers.
The Government’s directive for state farmer Landcorp Farming (trading as Pamu) to lifts its performance is yielding results.
The move to bring bovine TB testing in-house at Ospri officially started this month, as a team of 37 skilled and experienced technicians begin work with the disease eradication agency.
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