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Biosecurity eases China fruit exports to NZ

NZPA

Monday 18th July 2011 2 Comments

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Biosecurity officials are making it easier for to import Chinese fruit and vegetables into New Zealand.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry said today that its plant standards team was working with Chinese authorities to set import health standards and approve associated quality assurance programmes.

An agreement for importation of Chinese pears into New Zealand was signed in March 2010, and under this 215 tonnes of pear and 148 tonnes of nashi had been brought into New Zealand since May 2010.

Recently, Government-level agreements had provided for importation of table grapes and peeled onions from China.

An agreement had also been signed on sending New Zealand apples to China, the world's biggest apple producer.

In 1997 Opposition MPs and pipfruit industry representatives criticised the Government over its decision not to prosecute members of a visiting Chinese horticultural delegation after a foiled attempt to steal apple budwood cuttings found in a Chinese scientist's hand luggage.

MAF's plant imports and exports manager, Stephen Butcher, said that Australia and New Zealand had long been using a system of arranging for exports to meet pre-arranged standards, and the same approach was being encouraged in biosecurity forums such as the International Plant Protection Convention.

Official pre-border assurance could include MAF specialists going to the country of origin to assess export systems, and assess risks before signing the agreement.

The agreement for export of Chinese table grapes identified the fruitfly Bactrocera dorsalis and the mite Tetranychus kanzawai as particular risks, and another fruitfly, Drosiphila suzukii, was an emerging pest which used table grapes as a host.

Chinese authorities will register all vineyards producing table grapes for export to New Zealand, and the vineyard of origin will be marked on cartons help tracing any incursion in spite of integrated pest management programmes.

"The advantage for producers is they understand New Zealand’s requirements and can do their best to avoid problems," Butcher said.



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Comments from our readers

On 19 July 2011 at 8:53 am Gavin Whitelaw said:
"The agreement for export of Chinese table grapes identified the fruitfly Bactrocera dorsalis and the mite Tetranychus kanzawai as particular risks, and another fruitfly, Drosiphila [sic] suzukii, was an emerging pest which used table grapes as a host." Goodbye to a great wine industry!
On 19 July 2011 at 9:58 pm Gary said:
Once we're done slogging the Chinese for wanting to import fruit, are we going to go back to demanding that Australia take our apples?
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