A dried
cow pat presented by an arriving air passenger rates as one
of the most unusual biosecurity interceptions of the summer
so far, says the Ministry for Primary Industries.
A
traveller arriving from Malaysia declared the commercially
packaged dung last week to MPI staff at Auckland
Airport.
It had been brought into New Zealand for burning
at a Hindu temple at Otahuhu, says Dave Sims, MPI Auckland
Airport Manager
“Cow pats are made by mixing fresh cow
faeces with hay. We can’t permit them to enter New Zealand
as they could contain unwanted seeds, parasites or even
plant or animal diseases that could harm the livelihood of
farmers and growers.”
Cow pats have been used for
centuries to light fires in India.
He says it is very rare
for MPI to intercept cow pats, but they may become more
common in the future.
“Cows pats are now a commercial
product. There’s even a website selling them and some
customers want gift wrapping.
“The great thing in this
case is the passenger declared the pat. They did everything
we ask to safeguard New Zealand’s
biosecurity.”
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