Government has foot in mouth on biosecurity

The Government’s lax approach to protecting New Zealand’s agricultural economy and natural environment from biosecurity risks has been criticised by the Green Party, who today released information about the biosecurity risks of palm kernel.

Today in Parliament, Green Party biosecurity spokesperson Kevin Hague questioned the Minister of Biosecurity on why he is not concerned about the risk of foot and mouth disease entering New Zealand in palm kernel.

“Foot and mouth disease is endemic in Malaysia, where much of our palm kernel comes from. Malaysia has had outbreaks of foot and mouth every year since 1982, and as recently as March this year,” said Mr Hague.

“Foot and mouth is known to survive in soil for many days, and soil has been found by farmers in palm kernel arriving in New Zealand.

Written answers from the Minister show that the Government is relying on a 2002 assessment of foot and mouth disease threats, which does not take the scale and risks associated with palm kernel importation into account. The answer confirmed that “No specific assessment of the risk for palm kernel has been done.”

Mr Hague responded, “The Government’s weak response to the risks associated with foot and mouth disease coming to New Zealand in soil in palm kernel shipments are the latest sign of its woeful lack of biosecurity preparedness”.

Mr Hague said further answers confirm that standard biosecurity procedures of visual inspections and fumigations are not effective to detect and eliminate foot and mouth disease.

“Palm kernel is open to contamination from animals and soil after heat-treatment – the only process which does eliminate foot and mouth,” said Mr Hague.

“The Government is relying on faith and hope, not science and due risk assessment. In doing so they are endangering New Zealand’s economy and environment.

“The Government has tried to play down the risk, but shutting our eyes and hoping is an appalling response to a threat that is clearly real and poses catastrophic risks to the economic future of New Zealand.

“The sheer volume of palm kernel imported – over one million tonnes last year – means that the risk is larger than the Government wishes to admit.”

Mr Hague said that putting our biosecurity in this precarious position was also completely unnecessary.

“We don’t need to take the risk of importing palm kernel. New Zealand growers produce plenty of safe supplementary feed. Spurning their feed in favour of dangerous palm kernel is grossly irresponsible and flicks dirt in the face of our grain and maize farmers and their rural communities.”

Mr Hague renewed the Green Party’s call for an immediate halt to palm kernel imports.

References:

Video of palm kernel handling: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqgoqW7EwrM
MAF assessment of foot and mouth disease: http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/files/regs/imports/risk/foot-and-mouth-ra.pdf
Response to written question: http://www.greens.org.nz/sites/default/files/QWA14935(2009)Biosecurity.pdf