NZPPI has recently issued an open letter to the garden retail industry, urging stakeholders to take action against two critical Government proposals that could severely restrict access to imported plant material in New Zealand.
The proposals, if adopted, threaten to impact the availability and diversity of plants that are essential to the success and growth of the garden retail sector.
The first proposal has been put forward by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) seeks to suspend import pathways for plant genera that have not been imported in the last decade. This move could affect 75% of plant genera, effectively cutting off future access to a wide range of plant material crucial for innovation and maintaining the diversity of New Zealand’s greenlife.
The second proposal is from the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) and introduces stricter regulations on imported coated seeds. These regulations could impose unworkable reporting requirements on small batches of seeds used in garden retail, further limiting the industry's access to high-quality, treated seeds from trusted global breeding programs.
While NZPPI supports the need for robust biosecurity measures, we argue that the proposed policies are overly restrictive and could have long-lasting negative impacts on the industry. Our open letter highlights that without effective advocacy, New Zealand's garden retail industry could face higher costs and reduced access to the elite plant material necessary for keeping up with global peers.
We are calling on the garden retail industry to stand together in opposition to these proposals. Stakeholders are encouraged to stay informed, share their views, and prepare submissions to MPI and EPA. NZPPI also invites non-members to join and support their ongoing advocacy efforts.
For more information on how you can get involved, contact NZPPI Technical and Biosecurity Manager Kathryn Hurr on kathryn@nzppi.co.nz.