High Value Crops

High value crops are those agricultural and horticultural plants that are highly significant to New Zealand's primary industries. Continued access to new genetic material is a crucial step in providing the varieties that customers’ desire and in developing varieties with improved traits. Development of these crops also provides a basis for research and innovation in the biotechnology sector.

Import Requirements

All plants imported into New Zealand must meet certain phytosanitary requirements prior to receiving biosecurity clearance. The purpose of these requirements is to ensure that destructive pests and diseases are not inadvertently imported in association with these plants.

The phytosanitary requirements are determined by the MAF Biosecurity New Zealand (MAFBNZ) and published in the form of import health standards. Requirements include inspection, testing or treatment of the plants, prior to export, upon arrival at the New Zealand border and most commonly for high value crops, in post-entry quarantine (PEQ). Depending on the importance of the crop and the severity of the potentially associated pests and diseases, imported seed and plants may be released at the border (e.g. many vegetable seeds) or following PEQ.

Further information about the import requirements for propagative plant material may be found at:

Post-Entry Quarantine Space

Unless sourced from MAF-approved high-health schemes, many important crops (e.g. apple budwood, potato tissue culture and raspberry canes) must be imported into the most contained level of PEQ (Level 3). There are three levels of PEQ in New Zealand (see standard PBC-NZ-TRA-PQCON: Specification for the Registration of a Plant Quaranitne or Containment Facility, and Operator). Level 3 is the most stringent, and is reserved for important crops and/or plants that may be infected by the most damaging pests and diseases. A full list of the nursery stock and seeds which require Level 3 PEQ may be found here Link to PDF document (57 KB). Whole plants and cuttings must be imported into a Level 3 Quarantine Greenhouse during the quarantine period. Tissue culture may be imported into a Level 3 Quarantine Tissue Culture Laboratory for all or part of the quarantine period, depending on the diseases which may be associated with the plants.

A number of companies (including ArborGen (offsite link to www.arborgen.co.nz), HortResearch (offsite link to www.hortresearch.co.nz), Linnaeus (offsite link to www.linnaeus.co.nz)/Riversun (offsite link to www.riversun.co.nz) and The Tree Lab (offsite link to www.thetreelab.com)) have developed Level 3 PEQ capacity for the following crops:

GenusLevel 3 PEQ facilityTesting facility
Actinidia ArborGen; HortResearch None currently available
Malus HortResearch None currently available
Persea Linnaeus Linnaeus
Pyrus HortResearch None available
Vitis HortResearch; Linnaeus Linnaeus

Note: Level 3 PEQ facilities are approved for specific crops and therefore if a particular crop is not listed, prospective importers should contact the service provider to see if PEQ space or testing can be provided in the future.

MAFBNZ is able to provide a limited amount of Level 3 PEQ space for imported tissue culture, on a fully cost-recovered basis, where these services are not offered by private industry. The price list for providing quarantine space is available here: Price List for Post-Entry Quarantine of Plants in Tissue Culture Link to PDF document (68 KB)

Importers wishing to import crops for which there is no Level 3 PEQ facility accredited will need to identify a supplier willing to provide this service, e.g. it may be possible to upgrade an existing Level 2 facility.

As an alternative to undergoing Level 3 PEQ in New Zealand, MAFBNZ will consider allowing high health material from MAF-accredited sources to be imported into a lower level of quarantine. A list of accredited sources of high health material can be obtained here.

Post-Entry Quarantine Testing

Plants in Level 3 PEQ must undergo a pre-determined testing regime prior to clearance and therefore to be fully operational PEQ facilities must have access to an accredited testing facility. Until recently, all testing for pests and diseases in Level 3 PEQ had to be done by private industry, e.g. by companies such as Linnaeus (offsite link to www.linnaeus.co.nz). However, such companies only provide testing for a limited number of crops and following a report Link to PDF document (410 KB) in 2003 on issues around the provision of PEQ, MAF Biosecurity New Zealand's Plant Health and Environment Laboratory (PHEL) in Auckland, has been funded by the government to assist in the development and provision of the diagnostic services required for Level 3 PEQ. PHEL's new activities include:

  • development of PEQ testing manuals (describing the materials and methods used to test for pests and diseases in quarantine); and
  • provision of the testing service for the pre-determined tests required in PEQ (where these services are not offered by private industry).

The development of PEQ testing manuals is prioritised annually in consultation with stakeholders representing importers of plant and forestry species, and existing Level 3 PEQ service providers. The work programme for the current financial year (see "Stakeholder Update - July 2006") and completed manuals are available below.

The pre-determined tests which are required in PEQ 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. PHEL offers this service on a cost-recovered basis and the price list for pre-determined tests is available here: Price list for Pre-determined Pest and Disease Testing of Plants Link to PDF document (107 KB).

PHEL is also responsible for diagnosing the cause of pest and disease symptoms that are observed by MAF Quarantine Service during their routine inspections of plants held in PEQ (unlike pre-determined tests, diagnostic tests are only required if symptoms are observed). This diagnostic work is also cost-recovered and complements the pre-determined testing that is required for crops held in Level 3 PEQ. 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. The price list for diagnostic tests is available here: Price List for Diagnostic Pest & Disease Testing of Plants Link to PDF document (60 KB).

PEQ Testing Manuals

Stakeholder Updates

Page last updated: 6 August 2009