YOUR LEVY AT WORK
On-farm biosecurity series: farm outputs Your farm or orchard operation is likely to have a number of outputs such as produce and waste that leave your property.
BIOSECURITY FEATURE
By Anna Rathé : HortNZ biosecurity manager The biosecurity measures you put in place on your property support biosecurity in your community and manage the risk to the wider industry. It is important to avoid spreading any known (or unknown) pests and diseases from your property to other properties via farm outputs. Being a responsible grower protects your reputation and your business. It’s about paying it forward to protect other growers too. Farm outputs should be included in your on-farm biosecurity plan. Contact your industry body to see if they have a crop specific template that you can use. If not, you can use the Horticulture New Zealand template available online. Some common farm output risk areas are explored below, along with risk reduction actions for you to consider.
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The ORCHARDIST : AUGUST 2021
Produce Moving harvested fruit and vegetables off your property could present a biosecurity risk for the recipient if contaminated material is moved from one site to another. Remove any soil or adhering plant material from produce before it leaves the property. Keep an eye out for any signs of pests or disease and report them immediately if spotted. Try not to bring unsold produce back to your property as there is a risk of cross-contamination. If you do, store the produce separately to minimise the likelihood of transferring pests and pathogens.
