High Value Crops - Stakeholder Update, February 2007

14 February 2007

PDF Version (202 KB)

Developments in Post-entry Quarantine Activities for High-value Crops

Production of Post-entry Quarantine Testing Manuals

MAF Biosecurity New Zealand (MAF BNZ) has completed the post-entry quarantine (PEQ) testing manual for Vaccinium (blueberry and cranberry) seed and nursery stock. The Vaccinium manual is available on MAF BNZ’s website:

http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/files/regs/imports/plants/high-value-crops/vaccinium-testing-manual.pdf (3193 KB)

A draft of the Solanum (potato) manual for seed and nursery stock has been completed and it is anticipated that consultation on the draft manual will commence in February.

A draft manual for Malus (apple) has been prepared. It has been decided to incorporate the conclusions of the sections of the import risk analysis for Malus budwood which have been completed. It is anticipated that consultation on the draft Malus PEQ testing manual and the proposed revisions to the Malus import health standard will occur simultaneously, commencing in March.

MAF BNZ has contracted experts in New Zealand to develop parts (principally the Introduction and Propagation sections) of a number of PEQ testing manuals, e.g. Fragaria (strawberry), Humulus (hop) and Ribes (currants). MAF BNZ will continue to be responsible for development and validation of all the testing procedures but the sections developed by contractors will significantly assist in the preparation of the final manuals.

Detection of Pests in Pollen

MAF BNZ has reviewed the pests associated with pollen of high-value crops, in particular those crops for which pollen is likely to be used as a source of germplasm in New Zealand breeding programmes, e.g. Actinidia (kiwifruit), Pyrus (pear) and Ribes (currants). The aim of the work is to clarify the pests of concern so that appropriate import requirements can be set. The review will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

MAF BNZ is funding a research project to develop method(s) to directly test pollen for pests of concern; the new method(s) should enable pollen to be imported more quickly and cheaply than is currently possible. This work will be carried out between February-August 2007 and will compare the new methods with those currently required by MAF.

Charges for Pre-determined Testing of High-value Crops

MAF BNZ performs two types of testing for pests and diseases on imported plants and plant products:

1. Pre-determined tests: these tests are specified in MAF's import health standards. To ensure that latent infections are detected, the tests are mandatory and must be done irrespective of whether the plants appear diseased.

2. Diagnostic tests: these tests are required to diagnose the cause of any pest and disease symptoms that may be observed by MAF Quarantine Service during their routine inspections of imported plants and plant products (unlike pre-determined tests, diagnostic tests are only required if symptoms are observed).

Both types of work are cost-recovered. Diagnostic testing is generally more expensive because a broad range of tests is required to identify the cause of the symptoms and more than one pest may be identified.

MAF BNZ recently consulted on border clearance costs (http://www.maf.govt.nz/mafnet/publications/border-clearance-costs/index.htm ). During consultation, specific charges were proposed for diagnostic testing but the charges for pre-determined tests (which are generally done on plants in Level 3 PEQ) were to be made on the “actual and reasonable costs of tests, examination, and treatments”. The costs of each type of pre-determined test have been calculated in accordance with these principles, that is according to the time and consumables required and a proportion of the overheads. The proposed new costs are detailed in the table on the following page.

You are invited to making submissions on these proposed charges by Friday 16 March 2007.

Submitters should be aware that submissions may be the subject of requests for information under the Official Information Act 1992 (OIA). The OIA specifies that information is to be made available to requesters unless there are sufficient grounds for withholding it, as set out in the OIA. Submitters may wish to indicate grounds for withholding specific information contained in their submission, such as that the information is commercially sensitive or they wish personal information to be withheld. Any decision to withhold information requested under the OIA is reviewable by the Ombudsman.

Future updates

We plan to e-mail stakeholder updates every two-three months to keep you informed of our progress and other relevant material. These updates will also be available on our website: www.biosecurity.govt.nz/regs/imports/plants/high-value-crops.

If you do not wish to receive these updates, please reply to this e-mail asking to be removed from the mailing list.

If you know of others who might be interested in these updates, please let us know and we will add them to the mailing list. MAF BNZ”s PEQ team can be contacted at: peqtesting@maf.govt.nz

MAF Biosecurity New Zealand

IDC Plant Health and Environment Laboratory

Price List for Pre-determined Pest & Disease Testing of Plants in Quarantine

1 February 2007 (to be revised July 2007)

¹ All prices are quoted in New Zealand dollars. A Goods and Services tax (GST) of 12.5% will be added to these prices.

² If further PCR tests are required and the same nucleic acid extraction can be used (e.g. testing a Citrus plant for both Citrus tristeza virus and Citrus tatter leaf virus) the price of the additional PCR tests will be reduced by $50 for the first sample and $25 for additional samples.

Examples of costs:

a) Testing 5 kiwifruit cuttings for Apple stem grooving virus by electron microscopy, mechanical inoculation and ELISA, and Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae by PCR will cost: $250 [Accessioning & reporting] + ($30 + [$15 x 4]) [electron microscopy] + ($50 + [$35 x 4]) [mechanical inoculation] + ($120 + [$15 x 4]) [ELISA] +($145 + [$35 x 4]) [PCR] + GST = $1,120

b) Testing 10 mandarin cuttings for Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) and Citrus tatter leaf virus (CTLV) by PCR will cost: $250 [Accessioning & reporting] + ([1 x $185] + [9 x $65]) [CTV PCR] + ([1 x $135 + [9 x $40]) [CTLV PCR] + GST = $1,704