Some New Zealand's horticulture industry groups along with government, have signed an operational agreement to help reduce the impacts of a potential fruit fly incursion.
An agreement to fight the threat of the fruit fly has been signed by Government and a number of horticulture industry groups.
The new agreement sets out the operational requirement for readiness and response activities as well as cost-sharing arrangements between government and the affected industries, was signed by the parties. It is the first agreement under Government Industry Agreement (GIA).
Initial Signatories to the agreement include Pipfruit NZ, Kiwifruit Vine Health, New Zealand Avocado Growers Association Inc., New Zealand Citrus Growers Inc. and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI). The agreement can only be signed by Government Industry Agreement (GIA) Deed Signatories. It is expected that other industry groups impacted by fruit fly will also sign the operational agreement once they have joined the GIA partnership.
Fruit Fly Council Chairman, Philip Manson says that the council is pleased to have finalised the agreement after months of negotiations amongst the parties.
“This means the horticulture sector and the Ministry for Primary Industries can work together to manage and help reduce the impacts of fruit fly on the sector,” says Mr Manson.
“Fruit flies are one of the biggest biosecurity threats facing horticulture. A fruit fly incursion could cost the horticulture industry up to $2.1 billion (calculated as the annual value of first point of sales). Eighty percent of this value is represented by signatories to the agreement, who will be partners in joint decision making under Government Industry Agreement (GIA) for readiness and response.”
“By working together under GIA, Government and affected industries can achieve far greater outcomes than working in isolation. The agreement clearly sets out the roles and responsibilities of all the parties, and how joint activities will be funded,” says Mr Manson.
The agreement was signed by the parties at the B3 – Better Border Biosecurity Conference in Wellington on 9 May 2016. Attendees included the Minister for Primary Industries, Hon Nathan Guy, representatives of the signing industry groups, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and the GIA Secretariat.
View a copy of the agreement summary or find out more.
Image caption from left to right: Andrew Coleman (MPI), Jen Scoular (NZ Avocado), Minister for Primary Industries, Hon Nathan Guy, Barry O'Neill (KVH), Alan Pollard (Pipfruit NZ), Rebecca Fisher (NZ Citrus Growers Inc), and Philip Manson (NZ Wine Growers).