Goodbye PKE Ship, Thanks for the Biosecurity Reminder

Goodbye PKE Ship, Thanks for the Biosecurity Reminder

New Zealand primary sector producers will be happy to wave goodbye to the cargo ship carrying unverified palm kernel extract off the coast of Tauranga.

The importers of the cargo have been unable to find a way to satisfy the Ministry for Primary Industries’ concerns about the shipment, and therefore it must go, says Federated Farmers biosecurity spokesperson Guy Wigley.

"If the paperwork is wrong, then the shipment can not be accepted into the country.

"New Zealand’s primary produce exporters are very familiar with how this works at other countries’ borders, and we should be no different on our own shores," Guy says.

Federated Farmers has made it clear to MPI we had significant concerns about the shipment being unloaded for treatment and therefore increasing the biosecurity risk to our industry.

"We’ve worked closely with MPI on this and they have kept us informed about the process and the procedure they are following.

"In the end it was up to the importer to fix the mistake they made, without putting our nation at risk. This is the best solution for New Zealand."

ENDS

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