Celebrating success
The Director General of MPI, Ray Smith says it's important for his department to celebrate the success of a whole range of groups and people around the country.
An encounter with a live scorpion at Auckland airport should serve as a reminder for arriving international passengers to thoroughly clean camping gear, says MPI.
An MPI biosecurity inspector recently found the 5cm scorpion inside a tent carried by an air passenger arriving from Mexico.
"It wasn't moving much, but it was clearly alive and capable of inflicting a sting," says Craig Hughes, MPI's Northern border clearance manager, passengers and mail.
"The passenger was clearly shocked and repeatedly asked our inspector whether there were any more scorpions in the tent. After further inspection, we were able to confirm there wasn't."
He says it is rare for biosecurity staff to find scorpions, but warns it is very easy for dangerous pests to crawl inside camping equipment.
"We keep an eye out for used camping items, but passengers can do their bit for New Zealand's biosecurity by cleaning their gear before they jump on a plane to visit or return home to New Zealand.
"An established scorpion population in New Zealand is the last thing the tourism industry and the public in general want to see here."
The scorpion has since been destroyed.
New Zealand dairy processors are welcoming the Government’s commitment to continuing to push for Canada to honour its trade commitments.
An educational programme, set up by Beef + Land New Zealand, to connect farmers virtually with primary and intermediate school students has reported the successful completion of its second year.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has welcomed a resolution adopted by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly to declare 2026 International Year of the Woman Farmer.
Waikato herd health veterinarian Katrina Roberts is the 2024 Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year.
Trade Minister Todd McClay says New Zealand has no intention of backing down in a trade dispute with Canada over dairy products.
Horticulture NZ chief executive Nadine Tunley will step down in August.
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