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NZGSTA Newsletter Sept/Oct2014
This newsletter covers the following items of interest:
• Post-election Politics
•
Blackgrass -1 Year on
•
IHS for Capsicum seed
•
IHS for Coriander & Corn seed
•
Seed Exports to Russia
•
Hemp Seed review
•
Bee health
•
GIA Conference discussion panel
•
Industry working group on fungicides
•
Importing seeds for sowing workshop
•
Conference 2014
•
Conference Sponsors 2014
•
New contact details for Seed Industry Office
President:
Vice President:
Chair:
John Duncan
03 318 8514
Barry McCarter
09 307 0000
Forage & Turf Section
Brent Stirling
03 347 7950
Chair: Vegetable Seed Section
Mark Johnson
04 972 1613
Chair: Grains Section
Barry McCarter
09 307 0000
General Councillors:
George Gerard
Duncan Storrier
Stephen Tait
03 372 0864
03 308 1265
03 307 6979
General Manager:
Thomas Chin
03 349 8430
Administration:
Tricia Radford
03 349SEP/OCT14
8430
NZGSTA NEWSLETTER
NZGSTA:
Page 1
Post-election Politics
Following the General Election (held on 20
September) and the return of the John Key led
administration the Association will be looking
forward to the announcement of ministerial
portfolios within Cabinet early next month.
Mindful that John Key will reshuffle and promote
some of his current Ministers, the Ministerial
portfolios and personnel to watch include:
• Primary Industries (currently Nathan Guy
– responsible for agr, biosecurity)
•
Food Safety (Nikki Kaye – responsible for
food standards)
•
Foreign Affairs & Trade (Tim Groser –
responsible for trade negotiations)
•
Commerce (Craig Foss – responsible for
IPR matters & PVR Act)
•
Environment (Nick Smith)
The Association will also be interested in the
personnel line-ups to be appointed to the Primary
Production Select Committee. The Committee is
directly relevant to the seed industry as it
considers all matters relating to agriculture,
biosecurity, food safety, lands, and land
information. New National faces with a primary
industry background include: Stuart Smith
(Kaikoura), Barbara Kuriger (Taranaki King
Country), Todd Muller (Bay of Plenty), and Alastair
Scott (Wairapapa)
Next steps:
• Election results to be confirmed by 4
October
•
Ministerial warrants by 20 October
•
Parliament to meet by 21 October
P.O. Box 23-143, Templeton, Christchurch, NZ 8445
Email:[email protected]
Phone 03 349 8430
NZGSTA Newsletter Sept/Oct 2014
Blackgrass -1 Year on
It has been a year since the accidental spill of
blackgrass seed. To date, nine rounds of
survelliience, mowing and spraying has been
completed and there has been no detection of
blackgrass. The operations programme, looking
for signs of black grass in mid-Canterbury, has
another two years to run. The next round of
activity is planned to start week starting 13th
October and finish week starting 23rd March 2015.
IHS for Capsicum seed
MPI has advised an amendment to the capsicum
seed IHS. The change is required to manage the
risk of PSTVd entering New Zealand through
currently uncontrolled pathways – which includes
capsicum seed. From 1 September the IHS for
capsicum seed requires one of the following
additional declarations:
• That the seed has been sourced from a
Pest Free Area (PFA) or Pest Free Place of
Production (PFPP) or
•
That a representative samples has been
tested and found of PSTVd
It is likely that seed to be imported in early 2015
may not comply with the PFA/PFPP requirement
and will require testing to ensure compliance.
IHS for Coriander & Corn seed
The Association has been in discussions with MPI
to have further fungicide treatments added to the
import health standards for coriander and corn
seed. The Association continues to provide advice
to MPI about the active ingredients and
formulations for these crops and on any other
schedules members may have concerns with.
Seed Exports to Russia
In August, the Russian Federation imposed a ban
on food imports from most Western countries,
including the USA, Australia and the 29 member
countries of the European Union, in retaliation
against trade sanctions over Russia's actions in
Ukraine. [Earlier, the NZ Government put a free
trade deal with Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus on
NZGSTA
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hold]. NZ food and seed was not included in the
ban.
Hemp Seed review
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ)
says it expects the Ministerial review of the law
around hemp seeds as a food to be completed on
5 December 2014 for consideration at a meeting
of the Legislative and Governance Forum on Food
Regulation in late January 2015. A law change
could enable the industry to grow seed to export
to those countries who consume hemp food.
(Currently, our trade partners would not buy any
product which isn't meeting the Food Code).
Hemp seed oil, flour and protein are sold in
countries such as the UK, Europe, Canada and the
USA. With the exception of hemp seed oil, hemp
foods are not allowed to be sold in NZ for human
consumption. Hemp could be legalised for edible
products in 2015.
Bee health
In late July Parliament’s Primary Production Select
Committee released a report ‘Briefing on the
health of bees’. The report says there is little or no
evidence that pesticides, when used correctly, are
affecting bee health. Specifically, there was no
evidence of colony collapse in NZ, even though
neonicotinoids have been used as a seed dressing
and as foliar sprays since the early 1990s. [In the
European Union, some neonicotinoids
(clothianidin, imidacloprid, and thiamethoxam)
have been restricted,].
The report can be viewed at:
http://www.parliament.nz/en-nz/pb/sc/businesssummary/00DBSCH_INQ_12262_1/briefing-onthe-health-of-bees
Elsewhere, the Environmental Protection
Authority continues to monitor the risks of
insecticides to bees and other insects. They are
monitoring international developments and will
be updating its requirements for applicants
seeking approval to allow new pesticides to be
used in New Zealand.
P.O. Box 23-143, Christchurch, NZ 8445
Email:[email protected]
Phone 03 349 8430
NZGSTA Newsletter Sept/Oct 2014
GIA Conference discussion panel
Biosecurity is a key concern of the primary
industry. Protecting our borders from unwanted
pests diseases and organisms is also vitally
important to the grain and seed industry and this
point will be stressed at our Conference panel
discussion. Over the coming months we will
continue to discuss (with other parties) how best
to engage and be directly involved in decision
making and funding with the Government Industry
Agreement (GIA) on Biosecurity Readiness and
Response. It’s likely the grain and seed industry
participation in GIA might be by way of in-kind
contributions such as making available industry
expertise and knowledge to help in the event of
an incursion getting past NZs border defences.
Of interest, it is noted that New Zealand Pork in
July and the kiwifruit industry in May this year
have both signed the GIA Deed.
Industry working group on fungicides
An industry/MPI working group has been set up to
provide technical advice on new and current
fungicide treatments to the import health
standards for various crops and to resolve speicifc
issues with the schedules. The formation of the
group came out of the recent need to urgently
amend the IHS for beans and peas back in July.
Our Industry representatives on the group are
Craig France (HM Clause) and Wayne Campbell
(PGWS).
Importing seeds for sowing workshop
Importing seeds for sowing into New Zealand is a
complex area and there are many legal and
process requirements that have to be met, which
at times can cause a few headaches for our seed
company administration staff.
To help relevant staff, NZGSTA held a half-day
workshop in late August to help explain to
businesses what’s required for them to meet New
Zealand’s biosecurity standards pre and post
border and other reporting requirements for the
fast freight/air cargo import of small samples to
container lots of seed and their fast and efficient
clearance.
NZGSTA
Page 3
We received well qualified and expert
presentations from Dave Rollinson (Ministry of
Primary Industries), Steve Pugh (GVI) and Sonia
Taylor (Mainfreight). GVI and Mainfreight also
took the 45 attendees through the practical steps
around clearance of seed and provided an
operational site visit of their transitional facilities .
A workshop for North Island based importers is
scheduled for 7 November.
Conference 2014
The NZGSTA is holding its AGM and annual
conference on 22-23 October at the Scenic Hotel,
Southern Cross, Dunedin.
This year’s conference is grain-themed with a key
note highlight on emerging grain-based food
trends and a field trip to look at the malting
process.
The full programme can be viewed on the
website. For more information please see the
NZGSTA website www.nzgsta.co.nz. If you have
any questions please don’t hesitate to contact
Tricia at: [email protected]
CONFERENCE SPONSORS
We would like to acknowledge our sponsors for
their contribution to our conference this year:
AsureQuality
BASF
Bayer
BNZ Partners
GVI Logistics
Mainfreight/Owens
Mediterranean Shipping Co.
Monsanto
NZ Agriseeds
Oritain Global Ltd
PGG Wrightson Seeds
Ravensdown
Staples Rodway
Synergy Business Solutions
Textile Bag & Sack
Toll
P.O. Box 23-143, Christchurch, NZ 8445
Email:[email protected]
Phone 03 349 8430
NZGSTA Newsletter Sept/Oct 2014
SEED INDUSTRY OFFICE – Available for
members’ use
The Seed Industry Office is located at:
185 Kirk Rd, Innovation Park, Templeton,
CHRISTCHURCH
The office is handily located on the southern
outskirts of Christchurch, just off State Highway 1.
We are also 10minutes from the airport.
Page 4
Our boardroom is available for meetings, and
members are welcome to call in and re-charge a
cell phone, make a fax, or just stop in for a coffee
break when passing through Christchurch. Please
let Tricia know if you wish to book the boardroom.
PLEASE NOTE OUR NEW CONTACT DETAILS:
New PO Box 23143, Templeton 8445
Ph: (03) 349-8430
Fax: (03) 349 8436
DIRECTIONS TO SEED INDUSTRY OFFICE, 185 KIRK ROAD, TEMPLETON
Meeting Schedule of NZGSTA
Executive Council for 2014
-
22 October – Dunedin
Please advise Thomas Chin of any matters you wish
to have discussed at a meeting.
NZGSTA
P.O. Box 23-143, Christchurch, NZ 8445
Email:[email protected]
Phone 03 349 8430