Plant imports are vital for the prosperity and sustainability of our primary sector. They are also one of the most challenging areas for our industry.
Government and industry consider plants as the highest biosecurity risk and new regulations are added every year, which increases the cost and reduces access to plant varieties.
New Zealand relies on access to high-health plant varieties from overseas and global plant breeding programmes for most of the vegetable, fruit and cereal crops that we consume. New plants are vital to the ongoing competitiveness of our export industries, and the challenges of climate change and sustainable production systems.
NZ Plant Producers takes a lead role in advocating for a strong plant imports system that works for plant producers.
We have built good relationships with the Ministry for Primary Industries and the Environmental Protection Authority.
We advocate for:
- safe importation pathways, effective risk management and quarantine practices
- access to clean, high-health plant material from the world’s best breeding programmes and suppliers
- efficient permitting and border processes
- timely review and development of import health standards
- opportunities to make existing regulation more effective, easier to understand, and easier and less costly to comply with