High Value Crops - Stakeholder Update, June 2006

1 June 2006

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Prioritisation of Post-entry Quarantine Testing Manuals

MAF Biosecurity New Zealand (BNZ) has identified that Actinidia and Vaccinium seed and nursery stock will be the first post entry quarantine testing manuals developed. Prioritisation for the development of future manuals will be in consultation with stakeholders representing importers of plant and forestry species, and existing Level 3 post-entry quarantine (PEQ) service providers.

Prioritisation of manual development will be determined using the following criteria:

1. Potential value to New Zealand. This includes economic, environmental and social benefits, e.g. increased yield, improved quality, disease resistance, new traits or crops.

2. Historical and projected demand for importation

3. Current and projected availability of resources required to enable import, including PEQ space and testing facilities

4. Complexity of testing manual. Complexity can include number and type of tests and level of detail in import health standard. Crop manuals which are complex may be deemed high priority because of the benefit provided by BNZ’s involvement; conversely simple protocols may also be given high priority because of the ease of completion. A mixture of protocols with different complexity is likely to be chosen.

5. Alternatives to Level 3 PEQ in New Zealand, including overseas high-health schemes or sourcing material from pest free areas (as options in existing import health standard). Manuals for crops which may be imported in alternative ways (other than Level 3 PEQ) may be prioritised lower.

6. Any other relevant factors. Other factors could include private provision of PEQ sufficient to meet importer requirements, import health standard currently under review. The priority of the manuals will be considered in the light of these factors.

Consultation with industry

We are seeking input from all stakeholders regarding priorities for the development of future manuals. A full list of high-value crops is available on our website: http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/imports/plants/standards/high-value-crops.

Stakeholders are invited to submit requests for the development of testing manuals together with information to assist in the assessment of its importance in accordance with the criteria above.

Please include the following information in your submission:

• Your name and title, postal address, telephone, fax numbers and email

• Your organisation, if applicable.

Please note that your submission is public information. Submissions may be the subject of requests under the Official Information Act 1982 (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 when the information is commercially sensitive or if they wish personal information to be withheld. Any decision to withhold information requested under the OIA is reviewable by the Ombudsman.

Please e-mail submissions to: peqtesting@maf.govt.nz by Wednesday 21 June.

At the end of June BNZ will be arranging a meeting with representatives from organisations with a broad interest in high value crops. The purpose of the meeting is not to set priorities, but to get feedback on stakeholders’ priorities and to provide an opportunity to discuss the relative merits of the proposed manuals. The meeting will help to gather information to enable BNZ to make decisions on the priorities for the coming year.

Using the information gained from submissions and during the stakeholder meeting BNZ will decide on the priorities for manual development in the next financial year (July 2006 – June 2007) in early July 2006.

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 be more regular during the establishment period.

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. The PEQ (High-Value Crops) team can be contacted at: peqtesting@maf.govt.nz