Why our future depends on taking biosecurity seriously
OPINION: When it comes to biosecurity, we often hear about the end of a response, but it’s the beginning that helps determine our success.
Twenty-four new biosecurity detector dog teams graduated from their training last week — the biggest ever boost to MPI's sniffing force.
The dog teams include dog and handler.
"The new dog teams will give us capacity to screen all arriving international flights for biosecurity risk goods," says Steve Gilbert, MPI border clearance services director.
"They will also ensure we can make greater use of dog teams to greet international cruise ship passengers at regional ports.
"This is the largest number of dog teams to graduate at the same time in the history of MPI or its predecessors – so it is a significant day."
The dog handlers are among 57 frontline biosecurity staff who graduated at the ceremony at the Vodafone Event Centre in Manukau.
The ceremony included a demonstration of MPI's new mobile x-ray machine for scanning hand baggage carried by cruise ship passengers visiting regional ports.
"The new staff, dogs and x-ray equipment are part of a MPI biosecurity ramp-up to cope with increasing passenger numbers and the heightened threat of fruit fly-host material arriving in New Zealand," says Gilbert.
"It's been a big year for us on the biosecurity frontline following the government's decision to increase biosecurity funding in its 2015 budget.
"We have employed nearly 90 new staff and have purchased six new x-ray machines for inspecting baggage, including the mobile equipment.
"There have also been moves to improve our targeting of passengers that pose the highest level of biosecurity risk.
"Although you can never totally eliminate the risk of an unwanted pest or disease entering New Zealand, we feel our border biosecurity defences are in good shape to deal with what is going to be a very busy summer."
Like many manufacturers around the world, European agricultural machinery and tractor manufacturers are currently operating in a difficult market environment. But they are heading to the world’s largest agricultural machinery event in Hanover next month with a degree of cautious optimism.
Established in 2021, the John Deere Technician of the Year Awards champion the important contribution parts and service technicians make to the Australian and New Zealand agriculture, construction and forestry industries.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) is calling on farmers from all regions to take part in the final season of the Sheep Poo Study aiming to build a clearer picture of how facial eczema (FE) affects farms across New Zealand.
New Zealand is closer to eradicating bovine TB than ever before, but possums remain a threat, says Beef + Lamb New Zealand.
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has joined the debate around the proposed sale of Fonterra’s consumer and related businesses, demanding answers from the co-operative around its milk supply deal with the buyer, Lactalis.
The ACT Party says media reports that global dairy giant Nestle has withdrawn from the Dairy Methane Action Alliance shows why New Zealand needs to rethink its approach to climate.
OPINION: Ageing lefty Chris Trotter reckons that the decision to delay recognition of Palestinian statehood is more than just a fit…
OPINION: A mate of yours truly recently met someone at a BBQ who works at a big consulting firm who spent…