Filthy farm gear sent back to UK

By PAUL YANDALL

MAF officers have stopped contaminated farm Machinery from foot-and-mouth-ravaged Britain entering New Zealand at the Ports of Auckland.

The combine harvester was "covered in mud, grass, plant material and possibly animal waste," said the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

The CASE IH 2188 axial flow harvester arrived on the Foylebank on Monday after being shipped from Hull in England. It was brought here for use by a small importer of farm machinery, described by MAF only as a "rural New Zealander."

MAF Quarantine Service officers inspected the machine after checking the ship's manifest.

Quarantine service national manager John Burton said the harvester was grossly contaminated with straw, soil and what looked like animal faecal matter. "It was simply unacceptable."

The harvester was not unloaded and will return to Britain. The ship was expected to leave last night.

"I cannot stress how important it is that this sort of equipment is cleaned thoroughly before it leaves Europe. There is a lot at stake if machinery in this state comes here," said Mr Burton.

He said the importer had told MAF he did not have the opportunity to oversee the cleaning of the machine in Britain. No charges would be laid.

The importing of second-hand farm machinery from Europe has been allowed to continue, despite the foot-and-mouth outbreak. Two motor scraper units, used in road-building, were turned away last month because they were contaminated with soil.



The chairman of the Tractor and Machinery Association, Brian Matchett, said the association had been lobbying the Government since the latest outbreak to stop imports of used farm machinery.

"The whole industry is being put at risk by this practice. What needs to happen for it to stop?"

Agriculture Minister Jim Sutton was unavailable for comment but a spokeswoman, Catherine Bell, said the risk of infection from contaminated machinery was small.

Herald Online feature: Foot-and-mouth disaster

World organisation for animal health

UK Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

The European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Pig Health/Foot and Mouth feature

Virus databases online