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Weed invasion prompts tougher New Zealand border controls on seeds

Xinhua, April 5, 2016 Adjust font size:

The discovery of the potentially devastating velvetleaf weed in New Zealand crops has led to tough new border controls on imported seed announced by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) on Tuesday.

The move followed the discovery of velvetleaf in fodder beet seeds imported from Europe, which has caused an outbreak of the invasive weed on farms across the country.

"We already have strong border controls in place to stop contaminated seed from entering New Zealand. The new interim measures will provide another layer of biosecurity until we know exactly how the contaminated fodder beet seeds entered the country," MPI manager for import and export plants Stephen Butcher said in a statement.

The interim measures were an import ban on all fodder beet seed lines known to be contaminated with velvetleaf; the requirement for one of MPI's two chief technical officers to sign off all other fodder beet seed before its release at the border; and laboratory testing for all pellet seed imports.

"The measures will result in the increased scrutiny of seed imports. And they will ensure this scrutiny takes place at the highest level of MPI, based on specialist advice," said Butcher.

MPI would also visit fodder beet-growing regions in Europe during the coming growing season to inform future decisions about New Zealand import requirements.

"We want to review the certification systems that countries use to assure New Zealand that imported seed is free of contaminants," said Butcher.

Permanent changes to New Zealand's seed importing requirements would be introduced after further investigation of the velvetleaf outbreak.

Velvetleaf is one of the world's worst cropping weeds, affecting many arable crops by competing for nutrients, space and water. Endit