Battling a common enemy

Signing the Government Industry Agreement for readiness and response to a fruit fly incursion are (from left, front) David Teulon (B3), Jen Scoular (NZ Avocado), Alan Pollard (Pipfruit NZ), Barry O'Neill (KVH), Rebecca Fisher (NZ Citrus Growers), Andrew Coleman (MPI); back, Martyn Dunne (MPI), Minister for Primary Industries Nathan Guy, Philip Manson (NZ Wine Growers).

Several horticulture groups have signed an agreement with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) designed to reduce the damaging impacts of a fruitfly incursion in New Zealand.

The agreement was finalised at Wellington on Monday after months of negotiations among the parties.

"This means the horticulture sector and the MPI can work together to manage and help reduce the impacts of fruitfly on the sector," said Fruit Fly Council chairman Philip Manson.

"Fruitflies are one of the biggest biosecurity threats facing horticulture. A fruitfly incursion could cost the horticulture industry up to $2.1 billion (calculated as the annual value of first point of sales). Eighty per cent of this value is represented by signatories to the agreement, who will be partners in joint decision-making under Government Industry Agreement (GIA) for readiness and response."

This is the first such agreement under GIA. It sets out the operational requirements for readiness and response activities and cost-sharing arrangements between Government and affected industries.

Cost sharing for fruitfly readiness and response activities will start when the operational agreement comes into full effect next year. In the meantime, industry and the Government have agreed to co-fund any related activities.

The Government will stump up 70 per cent of the annual cost for readiness, with industry paying 30 per cent.

The same payments will apply for a Level 1 response when fruitfly is detected in New Zealand, with the Government payment increasing to 80 per cent for a level 2 response and 90 per cent for a level 3 response.

The industry cost-share will be based on the proportional benefits to each industry in avoiding the impact of the unwanted organism.

The agreement was signed by the parties at the B3 - Better Border Biosecurity - Conference with Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy. Other attendees included representatives of the signing industry groups, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and the GIA Secretariat.

Initial signatories to the operational agreement are Pipfruit NZ, Kiwifruit Vine Health, New Zealand Avocado Growers Association, New Zealand Citrus Growers and MPI.

New Zealand Citrus Growers executive manager Rebecca Fisher said citrus growers would next consider an operational agreement for citrus specific diseases including citrus greening and citrus canker.

"NZCGI will be working with MPI on this over the next 12 months," she said.

"Citrus greening and citrus canker are unique biosecurity risks to citrus and would devastate the industry and wipe out home citrus trees. As NZCGI is a signatory to the GIA deed - this gives the citrus industry a say in developing a strategy for keeping these biosecurity threats out of NZ."