- Review of post-inspection security requirements for New Zealand export produce.
- Assessment of the viability of developing diagnostic tests to replace field surveys as phytosanitary measures for exports of plants and plant products
- Assessment of the practicalities of conducting pest risk analysis for export commodities, using the risk of codling moth introduction through cherry trade as an example.
5. Facilitating horticultural market access
This category provides information that will assist in developing and implementing policies that help to facilitate the access of New Zealand’s horticultural products to overseas markets. Research activities are likely to include:
- Determining pest/host associations. Development of precise phytosanitary standards (and negotiation of best possible access) is based on an adequate knowledge of pest complexes associated with export commodities and overseas categorisation (quarantine/non-quarantine) of pests. In order to develop these standards and effectively debate technical justification of access requirements, MAF requires information on the organisms associated with New Zealand horticultural and arable produce. Some information is currently present in New Zealand, but has not been collated into a form acceptable to importing countries.
- Refining export certification procedures. Research on the size of samples or sampling procedures to provide the required level of confidence that the importing country’s residue and phytosanitary requirements are being met.
- Establishing and maintaining an up-to-date knowledge of the sanitary (residue) and phytosanitary requirements (including sampling and enforcement) of our trading partners. Both the WTO:SPS Agreement and the impending modification of the International Plant Protection Convention require our trading partners to have technically-defensible reasons for restricting imports of products from New Zealand. Well-founded research will enable New Zealand to debate the technical justification of phytosanitary requirements and modify MAF’s export certification programme to achieve the goal of accurate certification with minimum intervention.
| Programme Title: | Review of post-inspection security requirements for New Zealand export produce. |
| Programme Leader: | John Keall |
| Institution: |
| Programme Goal: | To provide MAF with information to identify what pests are likely to reinfest or contaminate squash and onions after harvest, and an analysis of the overall risk of contamination. This information will be used to ensure post-inspection security requirements reflect the identified level of risk, and to demonstrate to trading partners the level of assurance provided by these measures. |
Details of this project are being negotiated and a contract will be let once these have been finalised.
| Programme Goal: | To provide a review and development of potential diagnostic tests or technologies that could be adapted or applied to provide an equivalent (or greater) level of phytosanitary assurance to current field inspections. |
Objective 1
| Objective Title: | Strategic review of field based phytosanitary declarations. |
| Research Leader: | Dr John Marshall |
Description:
To undertake a review of existing survey and declaration methods of a range of root and seed crops and identify areas for improvement. The review will focus on identifying inconsistencies between systems and opportunities to develop non-field based systems that are cost effective and that provide equivalent or better levels of assurance than present systems. The application of new technology will be assessed to determine both the benefits and costs of this technology to New Zealand’s trading position and competitiveness.
Objective 2
| Objective Title: | Methodologies for defining PCN area of freedom. |
| Research Leader: | Dr John Marshall |
Description:
Potato cyst nematode (PCN) is a pest of quarantine significance which affects export potato crops and other produce. Requirements for additional documentation differ from country to country. Existing field surveys of growing crops are capable of defining the presence or absence of PCN but are subject to a number of the technical limitations outlined previously. This system can only check on growing crops; it provides no information on the quarantine status of the land before planting, or on the land surrounding the export crop, nor can it be used to assess the risk of recontamination of surveyed areas after the original inspection has been completed.
The question of relative sensitivities of the surveying systems will be considered and should reflect the need to ensure New Zealand can continue to export its primary produce.
Objective 3
| Objective Title: | Phytosanitary declarations based on molecular tests |
| Research Leader: | Dr John Marshall |
Description:
Select a significant quarantine disease of seed peas, Pseudomonas syringae pv pisi, and develop a specific test for its detection in consignments of seed peas. This method will be compared to the existing tests and cost benefit analysis will be undertaken. In addition, protocols for sampling, extraction and reporting to provide a basis for revised additional declaration documentation will be developed. Applicability of this technology to existing testing infrastructure and provide a pathway for the integration of new technology will be considered.
| Programme Goal: | To provide a sound scientific case describing the risk of codling moth being present on export cherries and being introduced to an importing country through trade. |
Details of this project are being negotiated and a contract will be let once these have been finalised.
Contact for Enquiries
Farm Monitoring Programme Manager
Monitoring and Evaluation
MAF Policy
PO Box 2526
Wellington
NEW ZEALAND
Phone: +64 4 894 0623
Fax: +64 4 894 0741
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