Richard Prosser MP

Spokesperson for Primary Industries
17 MARCH 2016

Compensation Calls After Major Biosecurity Incursion

New Zealand First is calling for farmer compensation as it questions MPI Biosecurity’s lack of resources and the government’s faulty and incompetent approach. This follows seeds of the devastating plant pest, Velvet Leaf, entering Kiwi farms among imported fodder crop seeds.

“Minister Nathan Guy may claim biosecurity is his number one priority, but dairy farmers in Waikato, Canterbury and Southland know that is not true,” says Richard Prosser, New Zealand First primary industries spokesperson.

“With the payout down this incursion is more than a kick in the guts, it’s a stab in the back. Farmers have laid down winter feed crops using expensive imported seeds, only to discover they now have a devastating plant pest on their hands

“Farmers tell us MPI has known about the Waikato situation for a while, so we will be asking hard questions.

“Does this government require absolutely no testing of imported seeds? Surely seeds are the riskiest of risk items and this shows there’s been no learning whatsoever.

“In 2013, black grass seeds were found within imported pasture seeds. Even the Kiwifruit disease, PSA, is widely thought to entered New Zealand due to the non-testing of imported pollen.

“Farmers need to ask Minister Guy tomorrow where the additional spending on biosecurity is from National’s much trumpeted biosecurity levy, or holiday tax. Given it was really a dollar-for-dollar replacement for biosecurity funding cuts, farmers are right to be disappointed.

“Given this is another biosecurity cockup up by this government, the government needs to compensate farmers accordingly,” Mr Prosser said.

ENDS

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