1840
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE
No. 77

Notice Setting Out the Requirements for the Importation of Fresh Fruit and Vegetables (Notice No. 2620, Ag. 12/2/14)

PURSUANT to the Introduction and Quarantine of Plants Regulations 1973, the Director-General of Agriculture and Fisheries hereby gives the following notice.

NOTICE

1. Title—This notice may be cited as the Importation of Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Notice 1981.

2. The importation of seeds, stock food and related dried products is covered by the Importation of Seeds Notice 1980.

3. General Conditions—(i) Pursuant to the Introduction and Quarantine of Plants Regulations 1973, the importation of fresh fruit and vegetables into New Zealand for consumption is subject to the presentation of satisfactory evidence to the Director-General prior to the introduction that the fruit or vegetable can be imported without pest or disease risk.

(ii) The Director-General may specify any treatment to be given to fruit or vegetables prior to importation.

(iii) Any fresh fruit or vegetable imported into New Zealand must be packed in clean new packages unless exempted by the Director-General, and accompanied by an International Health Certificate issued in accordance with the Introduction and Quarantine of Plants Regulations 1973.

4. No person or company may introduce fresh fruit or vegetables into New Zealand unless in accordance with the conditions of this notice, except with the prior written approval of the Director-General and subject to compliance with any condition specified in the approval.

5. Custom Prohibition Orders—Under these orders the importation of bananas, grapes, citrus fruit and pineapples is restricted to Fruit Distributors Ltd., P.O. Box 171, Wellington.

6. Apple and Pear Marketing Act 1971—Under this Act the importation of apples and pears is restricted to the Apple and Pear Marketing Board, P.O. Box 9348, Wellington.

7. This notice sets out the conditions under which fresh fruit and vegetables may be imported from specified countries or regions. The Director-General may, for plant health reasons, prohibit the importation of any items specified or vary the conditions for entry without prior notice. Alterations, additions, and deletions to this notice will be notified by the issue of amendment notices.

8. On arrival in New Zealand fresh fruit and vegetables will be inspected by an Agriculture Quarantine Officer. If a consignment does not comply with the conditions of this notice or with the prior written conditions issued by the Director-General, or is found to be infested with pest or disease, the fruit or vegetable must be reshipped, destroyed, treated or detained as directed by the inspector, at the expense of the importer.

9. Persons wishing to be put on the mailing list for subsequent amendments to this notice should send their names and addresses to the Officer-in-Charge, Plant Health and Diagnostic Station, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Private Bag, Levin.

10. Revocation—The Importation of Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Notice 1980 (Notice No. 2347, Ag. 12/2/21, New Zealand Gazette No. 49, 1 May 1980, pages 1290 et seq.) issued pursuant to the Introduction and Quarantine of Plants Regulations 1973 is hereby revoked.

NOTES TO THE SCHEDULE

1. This Schedule sets out the conditions for the importation of fresh fruit and vegetables.

2. Unless stated to the contrary no prior permit to import is required for the fruit and vegetables listed in this Schedule as approved for importation from a specified region or country, providing the conditions of the Schedule have been complied with.

3. Where there is no entry in the Schedule against a fruit or vegetable from a particular region or country the Director-General has not given approval to import. Applications to import such produce, or produce not listed in the Schedule or produce from a region or country not listed in the Schedule shall be made to: The Officer-in-Charge, Plant Health and Diagnostic Station, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Private Bag, Levin, stating:

(i) Name and address of the importer.

(ii) The name of the fruit or vegetable. If new or unusual, include the botanical name if possible and the part of the plant to be imported—e.g. root, stem, leaves, or fruit.

(iii) State of the produce, i.e. fresh or dried. Specify any treatment given before export.

(iv) Quantity.

(v) Country of origin—i.e. where the produce was grown. For large countries specify the state, province or region of origin.

(vi) Country of export, if this is not the country of origin.

(vii) Purpose of importation—for human consumption.

(viii) Method of transport to New Zealand—e.g., cool or ordinary storage, ship or aircraft.

(ix) Port of arrival in New Zealand.

(x) Period of the year when import is likely to take place.

An application to import a fruit or vegetable may necessitate a considerable amount of checking by the ministry of the pest and disease risk involved, including correspondence with the country of origin. Importers must allow for this delay when making application.

EXPLANATION OF THE COLUMNS AND SYMBOLS USED IN THE SCHEDULE

Column 1, common name—Lists produce in alphabetical order by the name by which it is commonly known, with the botanical name beneath. The importation of produce marked with an asterisk (*) is restricted to designated importers—see paragraphs 5 and 6 of the notice.

Columns 2–13—Each column specifies a region or country from which importation has been considered. The Pacific Island regions are identified as follows:

Pacific Is. I—means Cook, Norfolk, Niue and Tokelau Islands, Western Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga.

Pacific Is. II—means New Caledonia, French Polynesia (Tahiti), Vanuatu, Solomon Islands.

Note—Where no entry is made in columns 2–13, no approval to import has been given. See note 3 to the Schedule.

Symbols Used Within the Schedule

C—means importation is subject to additional certificates being endorsed on the International Health Certificate. See Appendix for details of endorsements C1 to C8.

I—means importation is subject to inspection on arrival and treatment if necessary.

P—means import is normally prohibited.

T—means importation is subject to the produce being treated before arrival in New Zealand. See Appendix for details of treatment T1 to T9. Details of the type and dosage of treatment must be endorsed on the International Health Certificate.

Letters in brackets—e.g. (a)—refer to notes that qualify or amplify the import conditions. See Appendix for details of notes (a) to (j).

Dated at Wellington this 11th day of June 1981.

A. F. RAINBOW, for Director-General of Agriculture and Fisheries.

APPENDIX

CERTIFICATES AND TREATMENTS (ENDORSEMENTS)

C—Additional Certification Requirements

The International Health Certificate is to be endorsed to the effect that the produce is—

C1. from a property where all avocado trees have been tested and found free from sunblotch.

C2. from a property where all avocado trees have been propagated from stock which has been tested and found free from sunblotch and where black streak does not occur.