Tuesday, 11 October 2016 10:55

PKE rules not made to be broken

Written by  Sudesh Kissun
A file picture of MV Molat, caught up in the PKE shipment saga at Tauranga Port. A file picture of MV Molat, caught up in the PKE shipment saga at Tauranga Port.

PKE rules are there for a reason and importers must abide by them, says Federated Farmers Dairy chairman Andrew Hoggard.

He says a robust process is in place for importing palm kernel expeller (PKE) and all importers seem to follow them.

He was commenting on 23,000 tonnes of PKE sitting on a ship at Tauranga Harbour since early last month; the Ministry of Primary Industries has blocked the vessel MV Molat from unloading the cargo because it came from an unapproved facility.

MPI says the importer is prepared to have the PKE heat treated but there are calls to send the ship back.

Hoggard likened the shipment to cases on the TV show Border Patrol, where people bring in meat without declaring it.

“It’s pretty stupid for people to do that; we have strict rules in place for a reason.”

The shipment, believed to be owned by ADM, came to MPI’s attention on September 2 when it applied for biosecurity clearance.

“On examination of the paperwork, MPI found that a Malaysian facility where some of the PKE was produced was not approved under MPI’s current import health standard,” a MPI spokesman told Dairy News.

At the time of writing MPI was assessing a proposal from the importer to have the product heat treated. “The final decision has yet to be made.”

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy is backing MPI’s response.

He says New Zealand has a stringent border security system; it has strengthened under his watch.

He says PKE must come from a certified plant.

“It is an important feed source for the dairy industry.”

Labour has pounced on the shipment and is calling for it to be sent back.

Labour’s biosecurity spokesman Damien O’Connor says the PKE is from an unregistered supplier in Malaysia.

“Unregistered suppliers do not have to meet the stringent safety checks applying to registered suppliers, to ensure there is no biosecurity risk to New Zealand. In this case, we do not know what checks were applied.

“In previous cases, huge biosecurity risk from possible foot and mouth contamination have been identified from PKE imports not up to standard. The risks are high and we should take no chances.

“If National and MPI are considering letting this shipment into our market, it shows they still do not understand the enormous risk biosecurity hazards pose to our economy and communities,” says O’Connor

Greenpeace has questioned why the MPI decision is taking so long.

More like this

Farmer anger over Joy's social media post

A comment by outspoken academic Dr Mike Joy suggesting that dairy industry leaders should be hanged for nitrate contamination of drinking/groundwater has enraged farmers.

Poultry industry, Govt sign landmark biosecurity deal

The Government has struck a deal with New Zealand's poultry industry, agreeing how they will jointly prepare for and respond to exotic poultry diseases, including any possible outbreak of high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI).

Witchunt?

OPINION: Newsroom is running a series of articles looking into the influence of lobbying and has kicked it off with agriculture.

Featured

People-first philosophy pays off

The team meeting at the Culverden Hotel was relaxed and open, despite being in the middle of calving when stress levels are at peak levels, especially in bitterly cold and wet conditions like today.

Farmer anger over Joy's social media post

A comment by outspoken academic Dr Mike Joy suggesting that dairy industry leaders should be hanged for nitrate contamination of drinking/groundwater has enraged farmers.

From Nelson to Dairy Research: Amy Toughey’s Journey

Driven by a lifelong passion for animals, Amy Toughey's journey from juggling three jobs with full-time study to working on cutting-edge dairy research trials shows what happens when hard work meets opportunity - and she's only just getting started.

AgFirst marks 30 years of agribusiness advice

AgFirst, New Zealand's largest independent agribusiness consultancy, is turning 30 - celebrating three decades of "trusted advice, practical solutions, and innovative thinking".

National

Machinery & Products

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

Buttery prize

OPINION: Westland Milk may have won the contract to supply butter to Costco NZ but Open Country Dairy is having…

Gene Bill rumours

OPINION: The Gene Technology Bill has divided the farming community with strong arguments on both the pros and cons of…

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter