The emergency measures require testing of all pelleted seed batches, at the importers cost and adding to significant delays in the importation process. The changes impact all pelleted seed imports, vegetable and ornamentals included. This has caused considerable concern among a number of nursery businesses.

Last week, NGINZ said it worked with MPI to help it better understand the vegetable and ornamental seed import pathway and to seek an early reassessment of this pathway based upon species, origin and biosecurity assurance through seed harvesting and processing.

The industry body’s contention that the vegetable and ornamental pelleted seed pathways and processes already incorporate strong biosecurity assurance. Additionally, volumes and frequency of imports will result in a huge workload at seed testing and result in intolerable delays. A rapid reassessment of ‘our’ pathways and the new rules is important.

To assist in this process NGINZ urgently seeks data please to quantify imports, to provide pathway biosecurity assurance processes and the direct implications of the new border measures for pellet seeds. We need information such as:

• Species (botanical names);
• Number of lines;
• Volumes;
• Frequency;
• The port of entry for the seed (e.g. Auckland, Christchurch ....);
• Place of production (country of origin);
• Production systems from the last two years (including pelleting processes).

NGINZ plans to collate and aggregate this data and pass on to MPI so it can generate a picture of the pelleted pathways and develop tools to segment the importation and testing based on risk and leading to appropriate pathway measures.

Those who import seed, NGINZ says that their data can help it advocate for a rapid reassessment of the risks.

It asks importers to send send data (in confidence) to John Liddle, via e-mail, and call him if anyone has questions or or wants to give feedback: 04 918 3511