Business. Scoop » BSI Expert Confirms MPI Import Standard May Break Biosecurity
Press Release – Blueberries New ZealandNew Zealands horticultural and primary production sectors are highly dependent on strong biosecurity protections. Establishment of unwanted pests would create. . .
Press Release – Blueberries New ZealandNew Zealands horticultural and primary production sectors are highly dependent on strong biosecurity protections. Establishment of unwanted pests would create substantial economic, environmental, and trade risks. New Zealand is very likely to experience incursion of new pests and plant diseases under a weakened Import Health Standard proposed by the Ministry of Primary Industries. A report by the Bioeconomy Science Institute (BSI), the nation’s leading experts on pests and diseases, says there are “significant biosecurity concerns associated with the proposed Import Health Standard (IHS) for fresh blueberry imports into New Zealand”. Writing in May 2026 to Blueberries New Zealand, the report does not have confidence that the IHS reduces the risk of introducing unwanted organisms and associated quarantine pests to an acceptable level. It is particularly concerned that the proposed rules will allow the introduction ofDrosophila suzukii(spotted wing drosophila),Ceratitis capitata(Mediterranean fruit fly),Anastrepha fraterculus(South American fruit fly) andLobesia botrana(European grapevine moth) into New Zealand. These pests are not specific to blueberries, so would also damage production and export market access permissions for other local fruit industries. The BSI report concludes that the proposed phytosanitary measures do not provide sufficient confidence that high-consequence pests and pathogens will be reduced to an acceptable level. In particular, concerns were raised regarding:limited evidence demonstrating the efficacy of several proposed phytosanitary measures;reliance on visual inspection and consignment sampling for pests and pathogens that may be microscopic, latent or otherwise difficult to detect;a systems approach that places insufficient emphasis on mandatory pre-harvest surveillance, documented pest monitoring, and production-level disease management for organisms known to evade post-harvest inspection; and,insufficient safeguarding measures for high-risk organisms that are widespread in exporting countries but absent from New Zealand. New Zealand’s horticultural and primary production sectors are highly dependent on strong biosecurity protections. Establishment of unwanted pests would create substantial economic, environmental, and trade risks. Blueberries New Zealand is calling on MPI to strengthen the proposed Import Health Standard before it is finalised by:adopting a more precautionary, evidence-based approach to high-impact quarantine pests;strengthening systems approach requirements in exporting countries;requiring documented surveillance and integrated pest management programmes;improving transparency throughout the consultation process; andensuring that stakeholder scientific evidence is fully considered before the Import Health Standard is finalised. Blueberries New Zealand understands that the import standard has been developed at the request of the USA. It will allow fresh blueberry imports from Peru, Mexico, Chile, Morocco, and the United States. Trudy O’Halloran, Chair of Blueberries New Zealand, said imports are fine, but only with strong safeguards to prevent pests and diseases entering New Zealand. “The blueberry industry grows enough to cover local demand and still export. “MPI need to set rules for imports that are the equivalent of those that must be met by our own producers and exporters”. Content Sourced fromscoop. co. nzOriginal url