Impressive Speaker Line Up for Flower Grower's Meeting

The Annual meeting of the New Zealand Flower Growers Association is to be held at Chateau on the Park Christchurch from 17-18th October

The following speakers and topics are included in the event programme:

Latest Import Statistics – Frans van Dorsser

Blackburn and Croft  - Opportunities to take an anti-countervailing case against imported flowers from India.  There is significant prima-facia evidence to suggest that flower growers in India enjoy significant subsidies that are unavailable to our own local growers, which allows Indian flowers to enjoy an unfair price advantage in our domestic market.

Keith Funnell, Programme Leader for Breeding Technology Development (including Ornamentals Sector) Plant and Food:  “POSTHARVEST PERFORMANCE: KEEPING DISTANT CUSTOMERS SATISFIED”

Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI)Video Conference Presentation MPI

Import Health Standard Development for cut flowers. Flower Imports are the single most significant issue currently facing our industry.  Find out how Import Health Standards – the requirements under which certain cut flowers  from certain countries are allowed into New Zealand are developed, and how the Risk Analysis of any potential bio-security risks are assessed.

GIA and implications for the flower industry (In person presentation confirmed).  Government-Industry Agreements (GIA) are agreements negotiated between the Government and various agriculture and horticulture industries where the responses to a range of pre-identified pest or disease incursions are agreed.  Because of its small and fragmented nature the Flower Industry sits outside of GIA.  Find out what may or may not happen if there is a pest or disease incursion that affects your crop.

The Investigation Process into Illegal imports of plant material into New Zealand and penalties.  The illegal importation of cut flower material into New Zealand represents a major threat to local flower producers as well as the wider horticultural sector.  Find out about the process MPI must follow when investigating illegal importation activities and the range of penalties available in the event of a conviction

Guest Speaker: Helen Gear (Plant Market Access Committee – PMAC) NZFGA financially supports the work of PMAC every year. Find out about the work of PMAC and how the New Zealand Flower Industry benefits from our financial support of this organisation.

Mike Arnold.  Horticulture New Zealand.  The New Zealand Flower Industry is an Associate member of Horticulture New Zealand.  Find out about the structure and work of HortNZ and opportunities for the Flower Industry to pursue its goals alongside HortNZ.

 It's not too late to register, contact the NZFGA on [email protected] to secure your place