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Cut flower and foliage growers who export product to the US have received an early Christmas present with the US approving the resumption of imports of NZ field-grown cut flowers and foliage.
The US says from November 1 all field-grown cut flowers and greenery produced under the MAFBNZ Phytosanitary Compliance Program will again be accepted into the United States.
Cut flowers and foliage grown in a hot/screenhouse environment had already been granted access in an earlier concession.
New Zealand's cut flower and foliage exports to the United States, worth around $12 million per annum, were suspended following the interception of a Light Brown Apple Moth in a flower consignment.
The suspension, put in place on September 12, affected crops grown in both indoor and open environments.
Maf spokesman Peter Johnson says a high level of collaboration between all parties helped in regaining access quickly for product grown in a hot/screen house environment.
"We had excellent co-operation from the USDA, exporters and industry and getting a return to trade almost immediately for product grown in a closed environment which was a very pleasing result," he says.
"We then focused on regaining access for flowers/foliage grown in an open environment."
Johnson says urgent work was carried out on developing a USDA approved Risk Management Programme (RMP) for outdoor growers wanting to export to the USA.
The programme was devised with co-operation from industry, scientists and MAFBNZ and took around three weeks to put together.
"This was an extraordinary effort by all concerned in a very tight time frame and the outcome is very pleasing. We were well aware time was of the essence as the product we were dealing with in this case is fragile and depends on a very precise and concise set of events which allow it to arrive in peak condition for sale," says Johnson.
"In these particular circumstances the trade suspension could have been catastrophic but while there are losses these were not as heavy as could be expected by a prolonged suspension in trade. We have been well supported by exporters and growers alike which allowed MAFBNZ staff to focus on the important business of getting full trade access resumed across the cut flower/foliage market as quickly and efficiently as possible."
