Keeping Biosecurity Boring
By Rachel Masters, Biosecurity Manager, New Zealand Apples & Pears
The best biosecurity outcome is a boring one.
If there is one thing I would love fruit growers across Hawke’s Bay to remember during Biosecurity Awareness Month, it’s that.
Boring means no emergency response meetings. No movement controls. No market disruptions. No unwanted pests or diseases threatening our orchards, businesses or livelihoods. It means growers can focus on producing great fruit and getting on with the season.
Last summer was anything but boring. Over the past year New Zealand has responded to multiple fruit fly detections, the yellow-legged hornet incursion, and a range of other potential threats. We are also watching avian influenza developments closely, as it serves as a reminder that biosecurity risks are constantly evolving and arrive on our shores in a number of different ways.
The positive side of these incursions is that they show New Zealand’s biosecurity system work. Someone noticed something unusual. It was reported. Surveillance systems did their job. Response teams mobilised quickly.
Early detection and rapid action remain our greatest advantages when protecting New Zealand from unwanted pests and diseases
For the apple and pear industry, one of the most important tools supporting that response capability is the Government Industry Agreement (GIA). Through GIA, industry and government share responsibility for preparing for and responding to significant biosecurity threats.
It gives industries like ours a seat at the table during decision-making and ensures practical grower perspectives are considered when response actions are developed. It also helps strengthen readiness long before a pest or disease arrives
But no agreement, plan or organisation can do this alone.
Biosecurity starts with people. It starts with growers inspecting orchards, staff questioning something that does not look right, businesses integrating biosecurity into everyday activities, and individuals reporting unusual pests or symptoms. Every person in the supply chain has a role to play.
This Biosecurity Awareness Month, I encourage everyone to take a fresh look at their biosecurity practices, talk with their teams and make preparedness part of everyday business.
Because when we work together, stay vigilant and share responsibility, we give ourselves the best possible chance of keeping biosecurity exactly what it should be: boring.
