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The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry’s (MAF) review of last year’s incorrect biosecurity clearance of strawberry seeds has identified improvements that will be made to further strengthen the biosecurity system.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) confirms today that Patricia Busch remains the approved operator of Zion Wildlife Gardens and management of the park will continue as normal.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is announcing three small geographical areas where farming of Undaria (Undaria pinnatifida) will be allowed, creating a new commercial opportunity.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is taking immediate action to eradicate two aggressive aquatic pest plants found in a West Auckland wetland this week.

The Director-General of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) is commissioning an independent review of its importing rules as part of ongoing work into how the kiwifruit vine disease Psa entered New Zealand.

The fight to stop the spread of kauri dieback disease has been strengthened with a new website and the appointment of a dedicated Relationship Manager for the Kauri Dieback Programme.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) is seeking public support for a product recall of a strawberry seed growing kit.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) today confirms that a single, juvenile trout from the Taieri River in Otago has tested positive for the same bacterial disease that is causing illness and death in kanakana (lamprey) in Southland.

The secretary of the New Zealand Killifish Association has been fined $6000 plus $132 court costs for importing fish eggs from Sweden and Denmark.

A unified and redesigned MAF will be strongly placed to support the success of New Zealand's primary sectors, says MAF Director-General Wayne McNee.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) has successfully carried out a full fumigation of a Kapiti Coast house to eradicate a small termite infestation of the introduced West Indian drywood termite.

Kanakana, or lamprey, in the Mataura River have become affected by a bacterial disease.

Recent survey work has confirmed the importance of removing soil from footwear and equipment before and after entering areas with kauri trees.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) is taking action to destroy a small population of an unwanted termite from a Queens Road home in Waikanae.

Notification of the numbers of animals used in research, testing and teaching were released today in the National Animal Ethics Advisory Committee (NAEAC) Annual Report.

Minimum standards of animal welfare and recommended best practices for everyone involved in transporting animals in New Zealand are outlined in a new code of welfare issued today by Agriculture Minister David Carter.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is launching a new tool to help staff at meat processing plants recognise and respond to an incursion of foot and mouth disease in stock, as part of its preparedness for risk organisms.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is welcoming the successful prosecution of a Feilding man for acquiring a snake.

New Zealand’s mandatory national animal identification and tracing (NAIT) scheme is set to commence for cattle on 1 July next year (2012), NAIT Ltd Chief Executive Russell Burnard announced today.

MAF and Northland iwi members go back to the rocky shore today in the final stage of a programme to trial the feasibility of removing an introduced sea squirt from the area’s harbours.

Federated Farmers is to actively reinforce with all farmers, the vital protection shelterbelts offer to livestock.

An incursion of Australian subterranean termites has been declared eradicated from a site in Richmond, Nelson.

On the day that Dog Squad returned to our television screens, our detector dog programme at the border has again proved its worth, with another successful biosecurity interception of melon halves and Cape Gooseberries.

It’s an atlas, but not as you know it.

Minimum standards of animal welfare and recommended best practices for everyone responsible for camelids are outlined in a draft code of welfare released for consultation by the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) today.

A new web portal offers a previously unseen record of the marine pests that threaten New Zealand’s marine environment.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) and the Waikato Regional Council are calling on Hamilton residents to help them locate any further infestations of an invasive weed pest recently located on two adjacent residential properties.

When it comes to surveillance for fruit flies and gypsy moths, no news is good news.

Agreements on biosecurity standards are enabling traders to take advantage of New Zealand’s free-trade agreement with China, while at the same time keeping biosecurity risk offshore.

Traveller risk profiling and detector dogs have proved their worth in helping protect New Zealand’s biosecurity, with the interception of fruit flies and bats with incoming passengers and mail.

Biosecurity managers are making it clear that one visitor is very unwelcome in Fiordland.

A novel marketing approach has helped to engage people in a campaign to slow down the spread of a major waterway pest.

From an emperor penguin on Peka Peka beach to the kiwifruit vine disease Psa and the alga didymo which congests waterways, it’s always possible that a new plant, animal or microbe will arrive in New Zealand.

A University of Auckland scientist has been honoured for her work in the humane use of animals in scientific research, testing and teaching receiving the 2011 National Animal Ethics Advisory Committee (NAEAC) Three Rs award, sponsored by the Royal New Zealand SPCA.

NAIT Limited and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) today announced mandatory implementation of the national animal identification and tracing (NAIT) scheme will be deferred to next year.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) will be defending in court its decision to allow the importation of fresh uncooked pork from Canada, the EU, Mexico and the USA.

The National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) issued its 2010 Annual Report today.

A Northland dog owner has been convicted of failing to meet the basic needs of animals under the Animal Welfare Act 1999.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) today issued updates to four Import Heath Standards for pig meat, pig meat products and by-products from Canada, the EU, Mexico and the USA.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) and Northland iwi are back on the coastline next week to measure the effectiveness of last year’s trial removal of an invasive sea squirt from some Far North shorelines.

The National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) has completed a review of the Animal Welfare (Layer Hens) Code of Welfare 2005 and a draft code has been released today for public consultation.