Onions NZ Inc

NEW BIOSECURITY RESOURCE

FOR VEGETABLE SECTOR

Words by James Kuperus, Chief Executive : Onions NZ Inc.

New Zealand vegetable growers now have access to grower-oriented, on-farm biosecurity guidance, thanks to a collaborative bid for government investment.

Vegetables NZ, Process Vegetables NZ, TomatoesNZ, Onions NZ, NZ Asparagus Council and NZ Buttercup Squash Council identified the need for new biosecurity guidance that could be used by all grower members. These groups were successful in securing funding from government via the Sustainable Food and Fibres Futures (SFFF) Fund.

Two vegetable-specific on-farm biosecurity resources have been developed thanks to the funding: one for covered crops and the other for outdoor vegetable production. All growers understand that on-farm biosecurity is an important everyday practice that is best integrated into all daily on-farm activities. However, on-farm biosecurity guidance can be wide ranging and overly complex, given the many different sources that provide it.

Vegetable product groups have long tried to keep biosecurity guidance up to date for growers, but a siloed approach to preparing this guidance led to information being repeated and growers inundated with different resources to reference.

The two new biosecurity manuals have utilised biosecurity guidance that already exists by referencing other useful resources where required. Both versions of the manuals have a resource page directing those interested to additional information sources on specific topics such as: building your own on-farm biosecurity plan, and washdown codes of practice for farm machinery. To ensure these resources are relevant and useful, they were created specifically with vegetable growers in mind, and have incorporated grower feedback throughout the content development process. Each version of the manual also includes important peripheral information such as: the importance of good on-farm biosecurity practices government’s role in biosecurity responses case studies of previous horticulture biosecurity incursions and their impact on growers and the industry. The biosecurity manuals have been distributed in hard copy to all growers affiliated to the product groups listed above. Additional hard copies of these resources can be obtained by getting in touch with your representative product group. The resources are also available on the Product Groups’ websites, and the Horticulture New Zealand and the Vegetable Research and Innovation Board websites.